EXHIBITION: WOMEN IN SCIENCE through April 15, 2023

From February 23 to April 15, 2023, ESPCI Paris – PSL is exhibiting 12 photographic portraits of ESPCI female engineers with inspiring careers on the walls of the Caserne Napoléon. This is an opportunity for the engineering school to step outside its walls and showcase its alumnae.

To mark its 140th anniversary, ESPCI Paris – PSL has chosen to celebrate the role of women in science. Founded in 1882 under the auspices of the City of Paris, ESPCI is unique in its blend of basic and applied sciences, offering an innovative, multidisciplinary curriculum in physics, chemistry, and biology, with a strong emphasis on laboratory experiments.

With six Nobel laureates among their ranks, the school’s scientists have also been behind major inventions, such as neon, sonar, and the black box.
It was also one of the first engineering schools to admit women. Notably, it welcomed Marie Curie during her doctoral studies and the research that led to her two Nobel Prizes, as well as many other female researchers and engineers, a selection of whom we present here.

The “Women in Science” exhibition introduces the public to 12 women in science—ESPCI alumnae—and their inspiring career paths. Their backgrounds span academic research, industry, and innovation. Among these women are Hélène Langevin-Joliot (Class of ’66), Marie Curie’s granddaughter; physicist and Academy member Jacqueline Bloch (Class of ’106); Pascaline Hayoun (Class of 128), Global Strategy Director at Saint-Gobain; Alice Chougnet (Class of 118), CEO of the startup Geosophy; and Haya Hanna (Class of 132), an investor in deep-tech startups… Each photo also links to a digital version on www.femmesdesciences.espci.fr, where you can learn more about each of the women featured.

These original installations are located in the heart of Paris, on Rue de Rivoli, to remind us that science has everything to gain by becoming more accessible to women. As dedicated professionals with distinguished careers across all sectors, these women demonstrate that science is very much a part of women’s lives. This exhibition is also supported by the ESPCI Alumni Association and the ESPCI Paris Fund.

To watch (or rewatch) the March 17 panel discussion related to the exhibition