Carrie Derick began teaching at the young age of 15 — and rose to become the founder of McGill University's genetics department! Derick was born in Canada East (now Quebec) and graduated at the top of her class from McGill in 1890. She later attended the University of Bonn in Germany, where she completed the research for a PhD but was not awarded the degree, since the university did not give doctorates to women. She was then hired by McGill as an assistant professor — making one-third the salary of her male peers. Although she continued to face discrimination because of her gender, her scientific innovation spoke for itself, and her Evolution and Genetics course was the first of its kind in Canada. When Derick retired, McGill made her the first female professor emeritus in Canada. She was a vocal advocate for women's equality, saying women would rise to any challenge if given the opportunity: "We have come to the time when women's capacity to do anything well ceases to surprise," she said. "It is taken as a matter of course."
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