Irene Carswell Peden

Background

Born in 1925 in Topeka, Kansas, Irene was the oldest of three girls, her mother also the oldest child of four in a Swedish immigrant family.

Education

She graduated from Central High School in Kansas City, Missouri. In 1962, Irene became the first woman to earn a Doctor of Philosophy in engineering from Stanford.

Career

She is known for being the first American woman scientist to live and work in the interior of the Antarctic, where she developed new methods to analyze the deep glacial ice by studying the effect it has on radio waves. After graduating from Kansas City Junior College, Irene went on to graduate from the University of Colorado with a degree in electrical engineering in 1947. She later went to graduate school at Stanford University, where she conducted research for her doctoral dissertation in the Stanford Microwave Laboratory

After graduating from the University of Colorado from 1947 to 1949, Irene worked as a junior engineer for Delaware Power and Light Company, and then for Aircraft Radio systems Laboratory of the Stanford Research Institute from 1949 to 1950.

From 1953 to 1954, she worked as a research engineer for Midwest Research Institute. Once she earned her doctorate degree, Irene joined the electrical engineering faculty at the University of Washington, first as an assistant to associate professor from 1961 to 1971, and then promoted to full professor in 1971.

Later, she was an associate dean of engineering from 1973 to 1977, and then the associate chair of the electrical engineering department from 1983 to 1986. In 1970, Irene became the first American woman engineer or scientist to conduct research in the Antarctic.

While there, she conducted research with a grant from the Polar Upper Atmosphere Program at the National Science Foundation.

Because of the significance of her work, the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (United States-ACAN) named a line of cliffs near Rhodes Icefall after her scientific contributions, now called Peden Cliffs (74°57′South 136°28′West).

Achievements

• Irene Carswell Peden has been listed as a noteworthy electrical engineer, educator by Marquis Who's Who.

Membership

Regional judging panel White House Fellows Program, 1976, 77. Board visitors University California-Davis, since 1984. Member engineering development Council University Colorado, since 1984.

Member disciplinary screening committee on engineering Council International Exchange of Scholars, 1985-1986. Member preliminary screening committee Kellogg Foundation, since 1986, member interview team, 1986. Member advisory committee Group VIII Fellows, since 1987.

Fellow Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (chairman Seattle section 1965-1966, editorial board proceedings 1965-1970, 78-83, member committees 1966-1969, 71–, vice president educational activities 1976, 77, director, executive committee, fellows committee since 1978, awards board 1981, Centennial medal 1984), Explorer's Club, American Association for the Advancement of Science. Member Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Antenna and Propagation Society (administrative committee 1981-1984), Society Women Engineers (senior, chairman Pacific Northwest section 1967-1968, National Achievement award 1973), Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (engineering education and accreditation committee since 1975, chairman region VII 1976-1977, chairman engineering accreditation commission 1981-1982, director since 1982, executive committee 1984-1986), International Union Radio Science (commission on fields and waves since 1976), United States National Committee (member-at-large project board since 1988) American Society Engineering Education, American Geophysical Union, New York Academy of Sciences, Morter Board (honorary member Tolo chapter), National Academy of Engineering, Sigma Xi, Tau Beta Pi.

Interests

• Applied electromagnetics radio science antennas subsurface remote sensing2008.

Connections

Married Leo J. Peden, August 28, 1962. Stepchildren: Jefri Lyn, Jennifer.

Father:

Jay Horton Carswell

Mother:

Lena (Anderson) Carswell

Spouse:

Leo J. Peden

child:

Jefri Lyn Peden

child:

Jennifer Peden