Born: 29 June 1930, United States
Died: 3 November 2011
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Maryly Van Leer
The following was written by Nina Baker and is excerpted from the book From Alchemy to Transport Phenomena: A Global History of Women in Chemical Engineering.
Maryly Van Leer Peck (1930-2011) was the first woman to graduate in chemical engineering from the School of Engineering at Vanderbilt University and first woman to receive an MS and a PhD in engineering from the University of Florida (1962). She then got a job as a propellant and aerospace engineer for Rocketdyne Corporation and United States Naval Research Laboratory, developing solid fuel and engines which are still used in the space program today.