Mildred Dresselhaus and Solid State Pedagogy at MIT

Mildred Dresselhaus is known for her influential research on the physics of carbon. Her wide-ranging influence as a physics teacher, although well-known to her students, has been less thoroughly examined. Exploring how Dresselhaus grew into her role teaching solid state physics at MIT reveals much about how that subfield evolved.Mildred Dresselhaus, who passed away in 2017, is remembered for her contributions to carbon physics and her work on behalf of women in science. The lesser-known story of her work as a teacher of physics, along with what it reveals about the larger history of solid state and condensed matter physics are explored.