Speaker
Description
Maria Kahanovicz (1890-1936), of Polish origin, who graduated with degrees in Mathematics and Physics from the University of Naples, represents an interesting example of a female physicist from the early 20th century. A libera docente (lecturer) in Experimental Physics, she was invited to teach Applied Physics for Medicine and, later, also Mineralogy at the newly established University of Bari in the academic year 1924-25. She was the only woman in the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery and the first femal teacher of the University of Bari. She was responsible for setting up the Physics Laboratory and, among other didactic instruments, oversaw the activation of a “Marconifono” receiver. Her "learnedy" lessons covered the most current topics, with particular attention to optical instruments used in medicine. During her short life, she was interested in meteorology, the study of the Earth's atmosphere, and the physics of metals, achieving interesting results for which she received the Sella prize from the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei. After teaching at other universities, she returned to Naples seriously ill and died at only forty years of age.
