Alva Matthews Oral History
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Dublin Core
Title
Alva Matthews Oral History
Description
During her engineering career, Dr. Alva Matthews conducted original research, development studies, and consultation services in a variety of fields. She is best known for her significant contributions to the field of engineering mechanics and applied mathematics in the areas of shock analysis, elasticity and structural design, for which she won the SWE Achievement Award in 1971. In addition to her accomplishments in industry, Dr. Matthews also taught for many years at the university level.
Matthews received her education at Middlebury and Barnard Colleges, earning a B.S. and M.S. in Science, and at Columbia University, earning a PhD. in Engineering Science. While an undergraduate in the 1950s, she worked as an engineer at a conduit construction firm and later as a design and research engineer for a prestigious firm during her graduate years. As a graduate student Matthews taught civil engineering at Columbia University, becoming their first woman engineering instructor. She continued to lecture at Columbia, the University of Rochester, and Swarthmore College after she received her doctorate, and became an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Sciences at the University of Rochester.
As a research engineer and consultant for Rochester Applied Science Associates and Paul Weidlinger Consulting Engineer, Matthews carried out fundamental research on the mechanical behavior of materials and wave propagation in solids, extending to nuclear weapons effects on structures. Other areas of effort include the development and adaptation of large computer codes, structural design of thin shell concrete, application of Potential Theory to underwater acoustics, and computer programming in the development of the Telstar tracking antenna and of helicopter blade design. Her publications have won recognition as pioneering efforts in the area of wave propagation and vibrations in elastic media.
Matthews has held a number of offices in SWE, was a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the NY State Society of Professional Engineers, and served on the board of directors of the Engineers Joint Council from 1964-65.
Matthews received her education at Middlebury and Barnard Colleges, earning a B.S. and M.S. in Science, and at Columbia University, earning a PhD. in Engineering Science. While an undergraduate in the 1950s, she worked as an engineer at a conduit construction firm and later as a design and research engineer for a prestigious firm during her graduate years. As a graduate student Matthews taught civil engineering at Columbia University, becoming their first woman engineering instructor. She continued to lecture at Columbia, the University of Rochester, and Swarthmore College after she received her doctorate, and became an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Sciences at the University of Rochester.
As a research engineer and consultant for Rochester Applied Science Associates and Paul Weidlinger Consulting Engineer, Matthews carried out fundamental research on the mechanical behavior of materials and wave propagation in solids, extending to nuclear weapons effects on structures. Other areas of effort include the development and adaptation of large computer codes, structural design of thin shell concrete, application of Potential Theory to underwater acoustics, and computer programming in the development of the Telstar tracking antenna and of helicopter blade design. Her publications have won recognition as pioneering efforts in the area of wave propagation and vibrations in elastic media.
Matthews has held a number of offices in SWE, was a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the NY State Society of Professional Engineers, and served on the board of directors of the Engineers Joint Council from 1964-65.
Oral History Item
Interviewer
Lauren Kata
Interviewee
Matthews, Alva
Date Recorded
2003-05-14
Coverage
1930’s-present
Citation
“Alva Matthews Oral History,” Michigan Oral History Database, accessed October 23, 2024, http://www.database.michiganoha.org/items/show/307.