Laura Bassi

Groundbreaking physicist who became Europe's first female university professor

Laura Bassi (1711-1778) shattered academic glass ceilings as the first woman to earn a doctorate in science (1732) and secure a university professorship in physics (1732) at the University of Bologna. Her expertise in Newtonian physics transformed European scientific discourse, demonstrated through her pioneering experiments with electricity and hydraulics.

Bassi established Europe's first experimental physics laboratory directed by a woman, conducting over 900 public demonstrations. She collaborated with leading scientists including Volta and Beccaria, contributing significantly to the development of electrodynamics through her work on electrical conductivity.

As mother of twelve children, Bassi balanced family life with academic leadership, eventually attaining the rare position of University Senator. Her 28 published theses on physics and mathematics challenged Cartesian mechanics while promoting experimental methodology, influencing the transition to modern scientific practice.