Clouds are the spark plugs in the heat engine of the tropical atmosphere, and heat from the tropics drives the planet's general circulation. Atmospheric scientists didn't know this in the 1950s, but Joanne Simpson, the first American woman to earn a Ph.D. in meteorology, did. Most histories of meteorology focus on polar and temperate regions and the accomplishments of male scientists. They marginalize or erase completely the contributions of female researchers. Joanne's work on the tropical atmosphere did not fit this pattern.

In his talk, James Fleming, Charles A. Dana Professor of Science, Technology, and Society at Colby College, will talk about his new book about Simpson, "First Woman: Joanne Simpson and the Tropical Atmosphere,” about her personal and professional life, her career prospects as a woman in science, and her relationship to the tropical atmosphere.

For more information and videos of Harvard Science Book Talks, see https://science.fas.harvard.edu/book-talks.