Embedded Files
University: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Years of Employment: 1964 - 2020
Sheila Widnall was the first female faculty member hired at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Engineering. Widnall went to MIT, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in 1960, her Master of Science in 1961, and her Doctor of Science in 1964. After graduating with her Sc.D, Widnall was offered an Assistant Professor position at MIT. In 1986, she was promoted to be the Abby Rockefeller Mauze Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and in 1998 became an Institute Professor. She retired in 2020, having spent 64 years at the Institute.
Header Photo:
“This Image Is of Widnall and Mumm Arriving in Thunderbird One at Nellis Air Force Base in October 1997.” Journal. Las Vegas Review-Journal, 1997. https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/military/nellis-air-force-base-from-the-1940s-to-today-photos-2602809/attachment/a-goodbye-ceremony-for-outgoing-air-force-secretary-sheila-widnall-widnall-arrived-at-the-base/.
How many female students were enrolled at MIT when Widnall started her Bachelor's degree?
How many female students were enrolled at MIT when Widnall started her Bachelor's degree?
About 2% of the student body.
What is an Institute Professor?
What is an Institute Professor?
The position of "Institute Professor" is the highest title awarded to faculty at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
1979
1979
Widnall became the first woman at MIT to serve as chair of faculty in the School of Engineering
Negroni, Christine. “Sheila Widnall: A Lifetime Exploring the Unknown.” MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Accessed December 7, 2022. https://news.mit.edu/2020/sheila-widnall-lifetime-exploring-unknown-1009.
1993
1993
Widnall became the first woman to lead a branch of the American Military, she served as the Secretary of the Air Force.
On Her First Day in Office as Secretary of the Air Force, Dr. Sheila Widnall Poses in a Flight Suit after a Trip in an F-150. She Is the First Female to Hold This Position. Photograph. Alaska, January 10, 1993.
2018
2018
Widnall speaks out against sexism in academia in a panel discussion at MIT.
Gallant, Nina, Institute Professor Emerita Sheila Widnall, photograph. 2018, (accessed December 4, 2022) https://wp.technologyreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/mj18-mitsheilawidnall1-7.jpg?fit=2160,1214
Want to learn more? Listen this interview about Sheila's 64 year career at MIT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IFJAjrWvAE
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse