Liliana Pedraza

Argentina's pioneering nuclear physicist who broke gender barriers in STEM and established Latin America's first university-level physics program for women.

Liliana Pedraza (1927–2013) revolutionized science education in Argentina by founding the National University of La Pampa's Physics Department in 1968. As Argentina's first female nuclear physicist, she developed radiation detection technologies used in medical imaging and environmental monitoring. Her 1950s research on cosmic radiation patterns earned international recognition, including a fellowship at CERN. Pedraza's advocacy for women in STEM led to the creation of the Pedraza Foundation, which provided scholarships to over 1,000 female students in physics and engineering. She pioneered the use of neutron activation analysis in archaeology, collaborating with UNESCO on projects to date ancient artifacts in Peru and Bolivia. Despite facing gender discrimination, she published 47 peer-reviewed papers and mentored 3 generations of scientists. Her work influenced modern particle physics research and inspired Argentina's National Science Policy reforms in the 1970s. Pedraza's legacy is preserved in the CERN archives and the annual Pedraza Medal awarded to female physicists.