Gertrude Cox in Egypt: A Case Study in Science Patronage and International Statistics Education during the Cold War

Abstract

ArgumentGertrude Cox, first chair of North Carolina State University's Department of Experimental Statistics, worked as a consultant for the Ford Foundation to Cairo University's Institute of Statistical Studies and Researches in 1964. An analysis of this work provides a case study in the internationalization of the statistics profession, the systems of patronage available to scientists in the second half of the twentieth century, and the history of women in science. It highlights some of the complexities in the process of internationalization in science, showing that even when scientists cross national boundaries to promote their discipline, they may have as a goal the advancement of their own nationalistic interests, or those of their patrons. In documenting Cox's commitment to serving her professional community, this case study will show that some particularly feminine qualities of Cox's approach to her work enabled her to accomplish what her male colleagues tried unsuccessfully to do.

Integración De Objetivos De Desarrollo Sostenible en Materias De Estadística Y Matemáticas en La Docencia Universitaria

“…Por un lado, cada tema de los apuntes comenzaba con una o varias citas, eligiendo personas relevantes para el tema, pero paritariamente y con diversidad de edad y origen, etc. Por ejemplo, se presentó la estadística Gertrude Cox, quien se centró en cómo las estadísticas pueden contribuir a aliviar las desigualdades ("Especialmente en África, se debe planificar no sólo mejores estadísticas oficiales sino también mejores trabajos experimentales en agricultura, medicina e industria" [33]. De hecho, Gertrude Cox recibió el Premio O. Max Gardner por su contribución al bienestar de las personas.…”