Daphne
Jackson graduated in Physics from Imperial College in 1958. She then moved
to Battersea College of Technology (later the University of Surrey), where
she began her research in Theoretical Nuclear Physics and was awarded a PhD
in 1962. Daphne was appointed Professor of Physics at Surrey in 1971, and
was the first (for many years the only) woman professor of physics in Britain.
She rapidly became Head of the Department of Physics at Surrey, and served
as Dean of the Faculty of Science for some years.
In addition to her distinguished career in nuclear, medical and radiation physics, Daphne Jackson served on such diverse bodies as the Institute of Physics, the Women's Engineering Society; the University Grants Committee, the Board of the Meteorological Office and regional and district health authorities.
Daphne Jackson was tireless in her work to promote the excitement of a career in science and engineering to women, actively promoting the WISE initiative to increase girls' interest in these areas of endeavour. She felt strongly about the great waste of talent and resources resulting when women scientists and engineers laid aside their careers for a time because of family commitments and found themselves unable to return. With this in mind, she devised the Women Returners Scheme that after her death became the Daphne Jackson Memorial Fellowships Trust. From http://www.sst.ph.ic.ac.uk/trust
Daphne Jackson visited Australia in 1989 sponsored by the Association of Commonwealth Universities. She addressed the Sydney Wisenet group and also the school of Physics at the University of Sydney in September 1989. She produced a report on women scientists in Australia.