Pauline Sherman
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MS., Mechanical Engineering
Pauline Mont Sherman | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 27, 1921 |
| Died | August 17, 2007 (aged 85) |
| Occupations | Aerospace engineer and academic |
| Academic background | |
| Education | BS., Engineering Mechanics MS., Mechanical Engineering |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan University of California, Berkeley |
| Academic work | |
| Institutions | University of California, Berkeley University of Michigan |
Pauline Mont Sherman was an American aerospace engineer and academic. She was the first female Professor in the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan and also the first woman to become Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on jet noise, low-density flows, two-phase flows, and especially hypersonic flows.[1][2]
Sherman was born in New York in 1921 to Polish immigrants. In 1942, she began working as an Expediter and Clerk for Eugene Scherman and later joined Babcock and Wilcox as a Contract Engineer in 1950. She earned a bachelor of science degree in Engineering Mechanics from the University of Michigan in 1952, where she participated in research on aircraft icing. At that time, pursuing an engineering degree was considered unconventional for women, as they were barred from City College liberal arts classes.[3] In 1953, she went on to receive a master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, where she concurrently served as a Research Engineer.[1]
Career
Sherman began her academic career by returning to the University of Michigan as an Associate Research Engineer in 1956. She assumed the position of Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering in 1960, becoming the first woman appointed to the engineering faculty, and was subsequently promoted to the role of Associate Professor in 1963 and later to full Professor in 1971, from which she retired in 1987. The University of Michigan created the Pauline M. Sherman Collegiate Professorship to honor her legacy.[4]
Sherman joined Sigma XI in 1955 and worked as a Consultant for the Advisory Group for Aerospace Research (AGARD) and Development of NATO in 1962. She also provided consultancy services for the Environmental Protection Agency and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and advocated for women in science. Following her retirement in 1987, she became a volunteer for the American Civil Liberties Union.[4]