March: Celebrating women and their scientific brilliance!
In Canada, March marks National Engineering Month! It’s a time to celebrate the remarkable contributions of the engineering community and spark the interest of future engineers and scientists!
But March is also dedicated to honoring women, many of whom have made significant strides in science. So let’s seize this opportunity to honor all those who have played a pivotal role in shaping our modern world.
Women: leading the way in security…
Kevlar: the fiber defying bullets
Stephanie Kwolek, who dreamt of being a doctor, worked as a researcher at the DuPont company to finance her studies. In an unexpected turn of events in 1965, while experimenting with the development of a lighter plastic for car tires, she accidentally discovered a strong, lightweight synthetic material that would later be known as Kevlar. Today, Kevlar is notably used in bulletproof vests.
Compared to steel, Kevlar fiber is five times stronger outside of water, and up to 20 times stronger underwater.
The emergency staircase
In the 19th century, fires were numerous in New York, so much so that Anna Connelly decided to develop a steel staircase, intended to be affixed to the facades of buildings without the need for extensive renovation. As a bonus? Platforms between levels to prevent people from falling!
Patented in 1887, the Connelly staircase paved the way for New York City’s very first building codes.
The liferaft
In the 1800s, liferafts were made of metal or wood. Not bad, but there was room for improvement, according to Philadelphia native Maria Beasley. She innovated a groundbreaking model of a foldable canoe, equipped with guardrails and rectangular metal floats.
Safe, compact, light and fireproof, her canoe was patented in 1880.
…And what about medical progress?
The syringe
Before Letitia Geer’s invention, injections were made with syringes that required both hands! This nurse invented the one-handed syringe in 1899.
While her invention didn’t make vaccines any more pleasant, it certainly made the process less daunting and more efficient.
Radiation therapy
Who doesn’t know Marie Curie, famous physicist and chemist known for her discovery of radium and polonium, which made it possible to develop new treatments against cancer, such as radiation therapy. Vital discoveries, which explain why it is still a notable source of inspiration in the medical field.
She is the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize, and, to date, the only woman to have received two.
Self-test strips
In 1981, Helen M. Free and her husband developed urine self-monitoring tests in the form of strips. Reliable, inexpensive and able to be used at home, these tests represent a real revolution in rapid diagnosis for different diseases, including diabetes.
These strips, marketed under the name Multistix, allow 10 different clinical tests to be performed.
CEP Forensic’s engineers: women with unique and valuable expertise
Women are increasingly making their place in engineering! Despite this, the majority of engineering degrees are still awarded to men. In 2018, women made up 22% of new engineering cohorts.
At CEP Forensic, our experts are civil and structural engineers, materials engineers, biomechanical and mechanical engineers as well as specialists in accident reconstruction and fire investigation, professions still largely dominated by men. The choice of these unconventional specializations makes them pioneers in the forensic environment.
What’s more, CEP’s experts boast impressive credentials: they all hold a bachelor’s degree in engineering, and over half possess advanced degrees (master’s or doctorate). They currently represent 23% of our technical team and bring an average of over 15 years of experience to the table, undoubtedly enhancing both their profession and CEP.
Meet our engineers and our entire team today! This is the best way to appreciate everything that these women and men can bring to the table.