Want to Learn More About Pioneering Female Engineer Lillian Gilbreth, Subject of the Once-Again Rising Best-Seller, Cheaper by the Dozen?
WHAT: Want to learn more about pioneering female engineer Lillian Gilbreth, subject of the once-again rising best-seller, Cheaper by the Dozen, and recently-released Steve Martin movie? Come to New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) your one-stop information source about this remarkable woman. At NJIT, interview an expert, view Gilbreth’s rare books, photos, artifacts and more.
HOW: Call Sheryl Weinstein at 973-596-3436 to set up interview or access materials.
WHY: The story of Gilbreth is more than a quaint tale of a well-organized super mom. It is a strikingly modern story of a pioneering woman engineer and businesswoman. In 1941, Gilbreth, while a resident of nearby Montclair, became the first woman professor at the Newark College of Engineering (later NJIT). The Gilbreth family has not only donated memorabilia to NJIT, but underwrites a lecture. Available for interviews is Nancy Steffen-Fluhr, Ph.D., of West Milford, a professor of English and Gilbreth expert.
BACKGROUND: Gilbreth (1878-1972) was a pioneering industrial engineer who was the first to integrate psychology into the field of scientific management. An expert in motion studies, Gilbreth refocused the attention of engineers on the human element in work. She recognized that behavior and efficiency of workers were often the product of the quality and effectiveness of the work environment. Gilbreth also used the techniques of motion analysis to design equipment to make housework easier for disabled persons.
Gilbreth taught at NJIT from 1941-1943.