Rachael Padman

Rachael Padman
Born	1954 (age 69–70) Melbourne,Australia
Nationality	Australian
Alma mater	Monash University St John's College, Cambridge
Scientific career
Fields	Astrophysicsandradio astronomy
Institutions	CSIRO University of California, Berkeley Newnham College, Cambridge
Doctoral advisor	Richard Hills

Rachael Padman(born 1954) is an Australianphysicslecturer at theUniversity of Cambridgein England. FromMelbourne,Padman was a graduate inelectrical engineeringfromMonash University,Australia, and specialised inradio astronomy.After her doctoral research, she has made contributions to research instellar evolution(the formation of stars). She is now mainly involved in administrative works in teaching. Padman is a member of theInternational Astronomical Union.

Atrans woman,Padman underwentsex reassignment surgeryin 1982 when she was undertaking a PhD inastronomyat theUniversity of Cambridge.In 1996, she was elected a Fellow ofNewnham College,one of three all-women colleges in the University of Cambridge at the time.She received opposition from some people, who argued, unsuccessfully, that Padman should not be made a Fellow as she wasassigned male at birth.

Early life and education

Padman was born inMelbourne,in 1954, and attendedMelbourne High Schoolin the Melbourne suburb ofSouth Yarra.She was the schoolcadetcaptain and won the rifle-shooting prize for two consecutive years. She obtained a first degree in electrical engineering fromMonash Universityin Australia. She joined research work on radio astronomy at theCommonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research OrganisationDivision of Radio Physics in Sydney, for two years.

In her autobiographical essay, "Rachael's Story", she discussed her lifelonggender identityas female, and one motive behind going to England was a hope for an opportunity to address her gender issues.In 1977, Padman settled in England to work forDoctor of Philosophy(PhD) inastronomyat an all-maleSt John's College, Cambridge,and did research at the University of Cambridge'sCavendish Laboratory.Among the first things she did on arrival in Cambridge was to approach John Randall atCharing Cross Hospitalin London, who prescribedoestrogen.In 1978, shecame outastransgender,and started with her PhD supervisor, Richard Hills. She saidRachaelspontaneously came up as her name one morning; she initially thought about usingSusanfrom a pupil from her primary school, before renouncing because there were already two Susans in her laboratory, including the secretary. She received her degree in 1982 for adoctoral thesistitled "Short-wavelength observations of interstellar molecules".

Career

Following her PhD, Padman moved to the US where she was aMiller Research Fellowat theUniversity of California, Berkeley.She returned to Cambridge in 1984.At the Cavendish Laboratory, she was appointed Deputy Project Scientist for theJames Clerk Maxwell Telescopein Hawaii in 1984. She worked there for four years until she became a University Lecturer in the Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, in 1998. From 2005, she has been primarily involved in the administration of teaching in the Department of Physics. She is Director of Education in School of Physical Sciences. At Newnham, she is both teaching physics and serves as Director of Studies in Natural Sciences.

She was publiclyoutedin the press in 1996, when Padman was elected Fellow of Newnham College. The college statutes allowed only female members in the institute. The Principal, Dr.Onora O'Neill,knew that Padman had undergone a sex-change operation. FeministGermaine Greer,who was a member of the college's governing body, strongly opposed the appointment, saying that Padman was a man and male.Fellows, students, and staff of Cambridge University supported Padman, and she was admitted without further opposition.Clare Longrigg published an article titled "A Sister with No Fellow Feeling" in the 25 June 1997 issue ofThe Guardianmaking charges on Padman and containing remarks attributed to Greer. The article was retracted on 19 March 1998 as information was found to be false, and the accusation made against Greer was considered groundless.

External links

• Profile at the Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge
• Profile at Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory, Cambridge
• Profile at Newnham College, Cambridge