Mount Holyoke Science Facts and Figures

• A partial list of accomplishments by Mount Holyoke alumnae and teacher scientists:
  • First person to collect weather data in the U.S.
  • First woman specialist in aerospace medicine
  • Co-discoverer of the antibiotic nystatin, first of the "wonder drugs"
  • Inventor of Apgar Score, used worldwide (and probably on you!) to measure health of newborn babies in the delivery room
  • First physician to identify cystic fibrosis
  • First woman president of the:
    • American Chemical Society
    • Royal Canadian Institute
    • American Paleontological Society
    • American Association of Physical Anthropology
  • First woman given a research post at Woods Hole Biological Laboratory
  • Pioneer in the study of the role of the thymus gland in the immune system
  • Pioneer in development of nuclear medicine
  • One of the first women to earn a Ph.D. in science from Yale University
  • Primary anesthesiologist at New England's first heart transplant
  • Pioneer researcher in forensic medicine
  • Developer of the concept of "territoriality" to explain birds' nesting behavior
  • Researcher at McMurdo Station in Antarctica
  • Developer of theory that an ancient map of the world, including the New World, is contained on coins of ancient Carthage and Phoenicia
  • High school teacher who encouraged astronaut Sally Ride to pursue a career in science.

• More than 23% of today's Mount Holyoke students major in the sciences and mathematics.

• Mount Holyoke has educated more women who went on to earn a Ph.D. degree in chemistry than any other college or university in the U.S.