Born: 24 September 1946, Chile
Died: NA
Country most active: Chile
Also known as: NA
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
María Teresa Ruiz is a distinguished Chilean astronomer who holds several notable achievements: the first woman to receive Chile’s National Prize for Exact Sciences, the first female astrophysics doctorate from Princeton University, and the inaugural woman president of the Chilean Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Ruiz is also credited with discovering the brown dwarf Kelu-1. In 2018, she earned recognition as one of Chile’s top 10 influential women due to her significant scientific contributions. Throughout her career, she authored two astronomy books: “Desde Chile un cielo estrellado: lecturas para fascinarse con la astronomía” (2013) and “Hijos de las Estrellas” (2017).