易胜博官网

Bob Dylan once said, 鈥淭he times they are a-changin鈥�.鈥�

That sentiment was no more evident than during the acceptance speech of Margaret "Peggy" Ann Shea, D.Sc.,鈥�58 鈥�61G, who was honored as the 2018听(CEPS) Distinguished Alumni Award recipient during a ceremony held Oct. 5.

When she entered the then-College of Technology she was one of just three females; during her speech, Shea addressed dozens of CEPS female scholarship award recipients in a college with more than 500 enrolled female students. During the ceremony, more than $650,000 in scholarships were awarded to 208 CEPS students.

鈥淚 am extremely proud to have been selected as the recipient,鈥� says Shea, who became the first female to earn an advanced physics degree from 易胜博官网 and received an honorary degree at the 2018 易胜博官网 commencement ceremony. 鈥淚 certainly never expected I would be selected for this great honor.鈥�

The CEPS Alumni Society gives the award annually in recognition of outstanding contributions to society with an emphasis placed on enhancing the image of 易胜博官网. Upon graduation, Shea built a decades-long prestigious career researching interplay between cosmic rays, solar particles and the Earth鈥檚 magnetic field. In 2001, she earned her doctorate in physics from the University of Tasmania, Australia, and was able to do much of this work alongside her husband, Don Smart, D.Sc.

Chuck Zercher, interim dean of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, says Shea is a role model and her story of professional growth is more than just a story of perseverance. 鈥淗er energy and passion reveal a deep commitment to science and discovery,鈥� says Zercher.听鈥淧eggy is an exceptional scientist who has dedicated countless hours to the support of colleagues and her profession.鈥�

Shea spoke of the journey and challenges she had to overcome in the early stages of her academic and professional career, including being discouraged by some in her field to pursue the path she did. Yet, she persisted in the goals she set for herself and continued to pick the battles she felt worth fighting 鈥� advice she offered to current students. Though she admits she didn鈥檛 win every battle, she was determined to learn from every experience.

鈥淵our goals will change with time, but always keep a goal toward which you are working,鈥� says Shea. 鈥淒on't be afraid of hard work; treat others with respect and always give credit to those who deserve it.鈥�

Shea authored or co-authored more than 400 scientific papers, edited the journal Advances in Space Research and won numerous awards, including the American Geophysical Union鈥檚 Waldo E. Smith Medal for extraordinary service to geophysics, the Soviet Union Academy of Science鈥檚 commemorative medal honoring 100 years of international geophysics and the COSPAR Distinguished Service Medal.听She was selected as a foreign associate of the Royal Astronomical Society and is an academician of the International Academy of Astronautics.听Among her scientific achievements, she developed the geomagnetic cutoff rigidity tables that are the international standard used by NASA and the FAA to determine radiation exposure of astronauts and airline crews in flight.

鈥淭he fact that these values are being used in programs by NASA and the FAA 鈥� as well as by airlines in other countries 鈥� is a testament to the value of the work,鈥� says Shea. 鈥淲hile the values will change with time, the method has proved to be the standard method for future calculations.鈥�