14 January: Remembering Carrie Derick on Birth Anniversary

OV Digital Desk
4 Min Read
Carrie Derick

Image Courtesy: Google Doodle

Carrie Derick (14 January 1862 – 10 November 1941) was a Canadian botanist and geneticist, the first female professor in a Canadian university, and the founder of McGill University’s Genetics Department. She was one of the first female professors of botany in Canada and was known for her research on heredity in plants. She also worked on the development of the first genetics course in Canada. Derick’s work laid the foundation for the study of genetics in Canada and she is considered a pioneer in the field.

Life and Career

Carrie Derick was born on 14 January 1862 in the Eastern Townships in Clarenceville, Canada East (now Quebec). Derick was educated at the Clarenceville Academy and began teaching by the age of fifteen Derick began her career as a lecturer and researcher at McGill, where she worked on heredity in plants. She was the first woman to be appointed to a full professorship in botany in Canada and became the first female professor of botany at McGill University in 1908.

Derick’s research focused on the study of heredity in plants, particularly the inheritance of flower color in snapdragons. She also worked on the development of the first genetics course in Canada and published several papers on the subject.

Derick was also active in the scientific community, serving as the first president of the Canadian Genetics Association and as a member of the editorial board of the journal “Heredity”. She was also a member of the Royal Society of Canada and the British Eugenics Society.

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Throughout her life, Derrick was an advocate for women’s rights and causes, serving as president of the Montréal Suffrage Association from 1913 to 1919.

Carrie Derick retired from teaching in 1927 and passed away on 10 November 1941 at an age of 79. Her work laid the foundation for the study of genetics in Canada and she is considered a pioneer in the field. Her legacy continues to be remembered and celebrated.

Award and Legacy

Her legacy as a pioneering female scientist in the field of genetics is well recognized.

Derick’s work laid the foundation for the study of genetics in Canada, and she is considered a pioneer in the field. She was the first woman to be appointed to a full professorship in botany in Canada, and the first female professor of botany at McGill University, where she also developed the first genetics course in Canada.

Her research on the inheritance of flower color in snapdragons was considered important in her time and her work was widely cited by her peers. She also served as the first president of the Canadian Genetics Association and as a member of the editorial board of the journal “Heredity”.

Derick’s legacy continues to be remembered and celebrated in Canada and her name is still known among the scientific community. Many educational institutions and organizations in Canada have established scholarships and fellowships in her name to encourage and support young scientists, particularly women.

In recognition of her pioneering role in the field of genetics and her contributions to botany education and research, McGill University, in the city where she lived and worked, has named one of their buildings after her, Carrie Derick building is home to the Depart

On 14 January 2017, Google Doodle celebrated Carrie Derick’s 155th Birthday.

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