Alumnae Profile

Eleanor Reed Adair ’48

All radiation is not created equal. That’s what Eleanor Reed Adair ’48 has spent her life proving. She explains that microwaves are at the other end of the electromagnetic spectrum from high energy radiation like X-rays and gamma rays; microwaves can warm cells but cannot injure them. Despite the persistence of rumors to the contrary, exposure to radiation from microwave ovens and cell phones is not harmful to human beings.

Eleanor, who holds a Ph.D. in physics and psychology from the University of Wisconsin, began researching the physiological effects of microwave radiation in 1975 at Yale University’s John B. Pierce Laboratory. Over the years, her studies, papers, and books established her as a luminary in the field. In fact, she cochaired the International Committee on Electromagnetic Safety that set the 1991 safety standards for human exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields.

In 1996, Eleanor was appointed Senior Scientist in Electromagnetic Radiation Effects for the Human Effectiveness Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas—the position is equivalent to the rank of brigadier general. “Brooks offered me a carefully constructed test chamber that was about 22 by 22 by 32 feet. It was lined with foam cones that trap energy. I don’t know of any other place in the world where such a chamber exists,” she says.

During her five-year term, that chamber allowed Eleanor to conduct a series of studies on the interaction of humans and microwaves that definitively confirmed the standards for the safe use of electromagnetic energy. She modestly attributes her success to the fact that she’s one of the few scientists who had access to a facility in which human beings could be effectively tested.

Named an Air Force senior scientist emeritus in 2001, Eleanor now lives back in Connecticut with her husband, Yale physicist Dr. Robert Adair, with whom she raised three children. She’s working on a manuscript detailing her work in Texas and flies out to San Antonio monthly to spend a few days as a pro bono consultant at Brooks.

Eleanor says she was drawn to Mount Holyoke in 1944 because of its excellent science departments. She adds, “I had a marvelous time there. And I’ve been back to every single reunion of our class.” As for a distinguished career that has helped safeguard the health and safety of people worldwide, Eleanor remains modest. “I’ve tried to do the best science it was possible to do,” she says.

—By Michelle Ducharme

Photo credit: Thomas Walters

When I was 20, 21, I thought everyone was smart and very impressive. Once you’re out there, you realize that if you use your head and work hard, you can be successful too. — Barbara Cassani ’82, chair of London’s bid for the Olympics