Happy Birthday Joyce Jacobson Kaufman! The chemist was born in the Bronx, New York, in 1929. She earned a chemistry degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1949, 21 years before the school began admitting women as regular students. She got her PhD in physical chemistry in 1960. Kaufman is a leading expert in quantum chemistry, which applies quantum mechanics to understand the chemical properties of various molecules. Her work has allowed scientists to better predict the toxicity of substances without having to conduct animal trials. Her chemicals of interest include drug compounds, carcinogens, and explosives.
