Voices of Science

Carol Williams (1939-), marine geophysicist, was appointed as research assistant in marine geophysics in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Geodesy and Geophysics in 1965, working on the digitisation of gravity and magnetic records produced at sea. In 1966 she was the first female geophysicist allowed to join a cruise on Royal Research Ship Discovery, to make measurements in theBay of Biscay. She continued as a research assistant after her PhD on the ‘evolution of the northeast Atlantic’ (1971), until 1973 and then from 1978 to the mid 1990s. Between 1973 and 1978 Carol completed postdoctoral work in the US, including a coordinating role on the scientific committee of the Deep Sea Drilling Project. Before retirement in 2000, Carol was Scientific Secretary to the Polar Board of the European Science Foundation. She has recently published a history of the Department of Geodesy and Geophysics (‘Madingley Rise’).