UCR Newsroom

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — www.ucr.edu — The University of California, Riverside will host physics’ leading proponent for women, Margaret Wertheim, who will speak and sign books at 3 p.m. on March 21 at the Pentland Hills Residence Hall. The event is hosted by the ALPHA Center at UCR.

Margaret Wertheim, an internationally noted science writer and commentator, is the author of “Pythagoras' Trousers: God, Physics, and the Gender Wars,” an exploration of her theory that the religious origins of physics and mathematics made it tough for women to break into the hard sciences — an inequality that lingers today.

“She’s sort of like a popular columnist for Physics,” said ALPHA Center Executive Director Pamela Clute. “She is passionate about how women have been systematically and institutionally left out of the sciences, much like they had been in early Christianity.”

A science writer for 15 years, Wertheim’s articles have appeared in many notable magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, The Sciences, New Science, Omni, Vogue and Glamour. She’s also the host of the PBS program “Faith and Reason” and has written 10 TV documentaries, including the award-winning “Catalyst,” a six-part series about science and technology aimed at teenagers.

“To anyone who has an interest in mathematics, science, technology, women's issues, philosophy or religion, she will stir the emotions and make one think in a different direction about what science is and how people learn to engage with it,” Clute said. “Her talks are historically based, but she deals with the issues of the day.”

To reserve a seat, please RSVP to Mary Simons at (951) 827-5425. The first 100 attendees will receive a free copy of Wertheim’s book, which she will sign following her presentation.

UCR’s ALPHA Center is the campus’ primary K-12 schools outreach vehicle offering career development and training for teachers, mentoring and tutoring for incoming UCR freshman, and college preparation for Inland Southern California's children.

The University of California, Riverside (www.ucr.edu) is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment of over 19,000 is expected to grow to 21,000 students by 2020. The campus is planning a medical school and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Graduate Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of more than $1 billion.

A broadcast studio with fiber cable to the AT&T Hollywood hub is available for live or taped interviews. To learn more, call (951) UCR-NEWS.