Anna Coble

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Anna Coble
Born1936[1]
DiedMarch 3, 2009(2009-03-03) (aged 72–73)[2]
EducationPhysics (1973)
Alma materHoward University
University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign

Anna Jane Coble-Mullen[3] (1936 – March 3, 2009) was an American biophysicist. She was the first black woman to earn a doctorate in biophysics, and the first black woman to be hired at Howard University.

Early life and education[edit]

Coble was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she became interested in mathematics and physics.[4] Her father was a teacher at St. Augustine's University. Coble studied mathematics at Howard University, earning a bachelor's degree in 1958 and a master's degree in 1961.[5] After graduating, she taught physics at North Carolina A&T State University for four years.[5] Coble moved to University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign for her postgraduate studies, where she became an advocate for minority students and women.[5] She completed her PhD in 1973 under the supervision of Floyd Dunn.[5][6] She spent two years at Washington University in St. Louis studying the impact of high-intensity ultrasound on frogs.[5][7]

Research and career[edit]

Coble moved back to Howard University, where she was the first black woman to be hired to the faculty.[5] She spent a summer finding houses for 200 black graduate students, forfeiting her own research.[5] During her time at Howard University there was a 30 - 40% cut to federal research grants.[5] She was part of the Writing Across the Curriculum faculty.[8] She was eventually promoted to Associate Professor.[9]

Coble was part of the formation of the National Society of Black Physicists.[10] She served on the board of the Ionia Whipper Home, a shelter for neglected teenage girls.[5] She developed educational resources for the National Academy of Sciences and the National Research Council.[11]

Coble worked with the American Association for the Advancement of Science and American Association of Physics Teachers to support underrepresented groups in science.[5] One project, the AAAS Black Church Project, brought hands-on science to young people in the Washington Area.[5] The Gamma Chapter of the District of Columbia of Phi Beta Kappa at Howard University established a Faculty Service Award in honor of Coble, who was the Chapter Secretary for multiple decades.[12]

Personal life[edit]

Coble was married to Kirk P. Mullen. She was the stepdaughter of Cora Coble, and had three siblings: Mary Lee Coble, Cecil N. Coble, Jr. and Dennis Coble. Coble died on March 3, 2009.[4] She is buried at Lincoln Memorial Cemetery.[3]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ American Men & Women of Science. Bowker. 1998. p. 347.
  2. ^ "Molecular & Integrative Physiology - Newsletter December 2009" (PDF). University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Anna Coble-Mullen". Legacy.com. Archived from the original on 2020-05-27. Retrieved 2019-07-05.
  4. ^ a b Sisters in science : conversations with black women scientists about race, gender, and their passion for science. Jordan, Diann, 1958-. West Lafayette, Ind.: Purdue University Press. 2007. ISBN 9781557534453. OCLC 137292168.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Narratives of the Double Bind: Intersectionality in Life Stories of Women of Color in Physics, Astrophysics and Astronomy - Research Library". doi:10.1063/1.4789692. Archived from the original on 2023-02-04. Retrieved 2018-05-04. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. ^ A., Nakireru, Omoviekovwa (2010). The physics queen : authorized biography of Dr. Elvira Louvenia Williams. [Bloomington, IN]. ISBN 9781441538574. OCLC 755708994.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Coble, Anna J.; Dunn, Floyd (1974-04-01). "Reversible changes in the electrical parameters of isolated frog skin induced by ultrasound". The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. 55 (S1): S16. Bibcode:1974ASAJ...55...16C. doi:10.1121/1.1919576. ISSN 0001-4966.
  8. ^ "WAC Faculty". www.cetla.howard.edu. Archived from the original on 2020-08-15. Retrieved 2018-05-04.
  9. ^ "Department of Physics and Astronomy". www.physics1.howard.edu. Archived from the original on 2017-07-11. Retrieved 2018-05-04.
  10. ^ "The Genesis of the National Society of Black Physicists" (PDF). AIP. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-05-05. Retrieved 2018-05-04.
  11. ^ Resources for Teaching Elementary School Science. 1996. doi:10.17226/4966. ISBN 978-0-309-05293-1. Archived from the original on 2018-05-05. Retrieved 2018-05-04. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  12. ^ "Howard University | Washington Research Library Consortium". www.wrlc.org. Archived from the original on 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
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