astronomy

Thelma Finlayson

Thelma Finlayson is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Thelma Finlayson rather than just read about it. In short: Thelma Finlayson (née Green; June 29, 1914 – September 15, 2016) was a Canadian entomologist. She was one of the first female scientists to work at a federal government's research branch and was Simon Fraser University's first professor emerita upon her retirement in 1979.

Key takeaways

Thelma Finlayson belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Thelma Finlayson to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Thelma Finlayson from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Thelma Finlayson (née Green; June 29, 1914 – September 15, 2016) was a Canadian entomologist. She was one of the first female scientists to work at a federal government's research branch and was Simon Fraser University's first professor emerita upon her retirement in 1979.

Early life and education Finlayson was born on June 29, 1914. Finlayson earned her Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the University of Toronto in 1932. She later received a certification in Taxonomy and Biological Control by ARPE in 1971 and an LLD from Simon Fraser University in 1996.

Career After graduating, Finlayson attempted to earn a position at Dominion Parasite Laboratory, which she was refused based on her gender. She eventually changed their minds and became one of the first female scientists to enter the federal research branch. While she was originally an unpaid volunteer, in the end Finlayson earned $50 a month as long as she worked weekends and holidays. However, her position was short-lived as she married fellow entomologist Roy Finlayson and was subsequently requested to leave. This was at the same time that WW2 ended and women were displaced from the workforce. As her husband was chronically ill and unable to work, she refused the request and set a human rights precedent for the Federal Civil Service regarding her right to work. She was also subsequently promoted to Research Scientist in 1964. Finlayson stayed with Dominion Parasite Laboratory until 1967 when she moved to Vancouver, British Columbia. She became Simon Fraser University's (SFU) first female faculty member in the Department of Biological Sciences. While at SFU, she helped found their Centre for Pest Management, which led to two species of insects being named after her. The insects are an oakworm moth (named Anisota finlaysoni) and a wasp (named Mesopolobus finlaysoni). Originally an assistant professor and curator of entomology, Finlayson was promoted to full professor in 1976. She was also Director and President of the Entomological Society of BC. Upon her retirement, she became SFU's first professor emerita. Despite retiring, Finlayson stayed involved with SFU. In 1983, she was appointed as Special Advisor at the SFU Academic Advice Centre which she held until 2012. She also established the Finlayson Chair in Biological Control. In 2005, Finlayson was the recipient of the Order of Canada. Two years later, she received the 2007 YWCA Women of Distinction. In 2010, she was the recipient of the Chancellor's Distinguished Service award. In 2012, SFU honoured Finlayson by naming their new student centre after her. The next year, she was elected a Fellow of the Entomological Society of Ontario. Finlayson died on September 15, 2016.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Thelma Finlayson

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Thelma Finlayson claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Thelma Finlayson before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Thelma Finlayson ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Thelma Finlayson

In research: Thelma Finlayson appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Thelma Finlayson in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Thelma Finlayson is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1914 births, 2016 deaths, 20th-century Canadian women scientists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Thelma Finlayson outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Thelma Finlayson in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Thelma Finlayson means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Thelma Finlayson out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Thelma Finlayson in simple terms?

Why does Thelma Finlayson matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Thelma Finlayson?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Thelma Finlayson.