In the 1850s, Lafayette professor James Coffin was the mathematical head of the Smithsonian Meteorological Project, the first settler-operated U.S. weather data collection project. Sara Grossman’s (Bryn Mawr College) research reveals that Lafayette’s data processing efforts were largely performed by (white) women Easton school teachers. Lafayette plays a pivotal role as both a scientific entry point and impediment for many of these women, who remain an unacknowledged part of our history. Grossman will examine the ways gender shapes how the scientific labor of women is (not) recognized. 4:15-5:30 p.m. Thurs., Nov. 6 • Oechsle Hall, Room 224 • MORE
Submitted by: Sarah Ye