Irene Peden Oral History
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Dublin Core
Title
Irene Peden Oral History
Description
Dr. Irene Peden is Professor Emerita of Electrical Engineering at the University of Washington. She joined the faculty in 1962 and served terms as Associate Dean of the College of Engineering and Associate Chairman of the EE Dept., in addition to her teaching and research. She has long been an outspoken advocate for women in engineering and science. Her efforts lead to the #1 U.S. ranking of UW in the 1990s for number of women faculty in an electrical engineering department.
A graduate of electrical engineering from the University of Colorado in 1947, Peden earned both a M.S. and Ph.D. from Stanford University. Following her graduate studies Peden began as Assistant Professor at UW, taking time off from the university in the early 1990s to serve two years as Director of the Division of Electrical and Communications Systems at the National Science Foundation. Her research interests cover several fields: applied electromagnetics, radio science, antennas and subsurface remote sensing, and she has published widely on these subjects. In 1970, in pursuit of her research, Peden became the first American woman engineer or scientist to conduct field research in the Antarctic interior.
In addition to being a SWE Fellow, Peden is a Fellow in the IEEE, holding a number of positions in that organization. She has served as board member and chair of several science and engineering associations, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Engineering Accreditation Commission, as well as several university engineering departments. Among her many honors, she was the National Science Foundation's 1993 Engineer of the Year and one of 40 inductees to the ASEE Engineering Educators Hall of Fame, as well as the recipient of several IEEE awards and SWE's Achievement Award (1973).
A graduate of electrical engineering from the University of Colorado in 1947, Peden earned both a M.S. and Ph.D. from Stanford University. Following her graduate studies Peden began as Assistant Professor at UW, taking time off from the university in the early 1990s to serve two years as Director of the Division of Electrical and Communications Systems at the National Science Foundation. Her research interests cover several fields: applied electromagnetics, radio science, antennas and subsurface remote sensing, and she has published widely on these subjects. In 1970, in pursuit of her research, Peden became the first American woman engineer or scientist to conduct field research in the Antarctic interior.
In addition to being a SWE Fellow, Peden is a Fellow in the IEEE, holding a number of positions in that organization. She has served as board member and chair of several science and engineering associations, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Engineering Accreditation Commission, as well as several university engineering departments. Among her many honors, she was the National Science Foundation's 1993 Engineer of the Year and one of 40 inductees to the ASEE Engineering Educators Hall of Fame, as well as the recipient of several IEEE awards and SWE's Achievement Award (1973).
Oral History Item
Interviewer
Lauren Kata
Interviewee
Peden, Irene
Date Recorded
2002-03-02
Coverage
1930’s-present
Citation
“Irene Peden Oral History,” Michigan Oral History Database, accessed October 23, 2024, http://www.database.michiganoha.org/items/show/311.