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There’s always a first — and in honour of International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating some of the incredible U of A women who blazed trails, set new courses, and who still inspire us today. In no way is this an exhaustive list, but it’s a start.
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Chelsea Benally is using her expertise to improve the environment while sharing her experience to encourage others to create and follow their own paths to success.
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Although she would finish her studies at the University of Toronto, Esther Marjorie Hill’s journey to become Canada’s first female architecture grad began at the U of A.
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Born and raised in Alberta, Violet King made history when she became the first person to graduate with a U of A Law degree, the first black person admitted to the Alberta Bar, and Canada’s first female Black lawyer.
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In addition to being the university of Alberta’s first female medical graduate, Leone McGregor Hellstedt has also been immortalized in Jesse Arden’s play, Leone.
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Decima Eveline Robinson held a seat as one of the first U of A students — ever, and was the very first person to graduate from the U of A with a Bachelor of Science.
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A history changing suffragette, when she joined the Department of Classics in 1913 as an assistant professor, Geneva Misener became the first female academic at the University of Alberta.
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In 1974, Professor Emerita Patricia Prestwich recognized the need for women’s stories to be told, and was the first faculty member to create courses highlighting the history of women.
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A leading voice in the world of higher education, Indira Samarasekera represented the U of A on the global stage for a decade, serving as the university’s first female president.