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Joan Feynman

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Joan Feynman (1927– 2020, OC 1948) was an astrophysicist. She was the sister of Richard Feynman, an internationally well-known physicist. Growing up, her brother helped teach her math and science. He served as an early mentor and encouraged her interest in science. She later enrolled at Oberlin College and completed a B.A. in physics in 1948. After graduating, Feynman began working as a research physicist for the Naval Research Lab in Washington, D.C. She enrolled at Syracuse University in 1949 to begin her post-graduate studies in physics. In 1958, she completed her Ph.D. from Syracuse University in physics. Feynman began working as a course coordinator at University College, a division of Syracuse University, after graduating. She left her position to spend a few years caring for her children in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Feynman later began working part-time in 1962 at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. By 1968, Feynman was a consultant at the NASA Ames Research Center. In 1971, she designed a method for detecting solar coronal mass ejections from the sun. Feynman also held positions at the High Altitude Observatory at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, the National Science Foundation, and at Boston College. Beginning in 1985, she started working at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. Feynman retired in 2003, but continued to conduct research about solar activity and its effect on the Earth’s climate and agriculture.

Sources:
Student File (Joan Feynman), Development Research Office, Oberlin College & Conservatory.

Poffenberger, Leah. “Joan Feynman 1927–2020.” APS Physics. August 10, 2020. https://aps.org/publications/apsnews/updates/feynman.cfm

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