Girls+ In STEAM Trailblazer
Dr. Kathryn McWilliams
Literally a 'Rocket Scientist' Dr. Kathryn McWilliams’ main area of study was space weather and related aurora. Raised in Saskatchewan, Kathryn was the first Canadian to win a Royal Astronomical Society honour, was principal investigator of SuperDARN Canada and later chair of the international SuperDARN (or “Super Dual Auroral Radar Network”) project.
Her innovative Borealis system is being adopted around the world. She was the first tenured female faculty member in the Department of Physics and Engineering Physics at USask and worked with scientists from pole-to-pole and around the world. Kathryn understood that the arts are important to being a well-rounded person and scientist, bolstering creativity, empathy, and critical thinking. Her laboratory stretched from our ionosphere to the surface of the sun. Her impact here on Earth was profound, personal, and lives on through her family, friends, colleagues, and former students.
When she wasn't teaching, researching, building radar towers, or travelling for other scientific pursuits, Kathryn gardened, crocheted, and spent time at the McWilliams' family farm near Moose Jaw. Dr. Kathryn McWilliams was a true trailblazer.