. . . . . .Most of all, she loved reading, shutting herself away whenever she could to devour advanced science books, staying up late at night and even reading secretly in class. She dreamed of becoming a research scientist, particularly if it meant avoiding too much interaction with other people; not that she was a shy child, but rather because she enjoyed the peace and solitude of her own company. The last thing she wanted to do was to follow in her mother’s footsteps and end up teaching – an attitude that would change dramatically later in life.
Uhlenbeck’s love affair with mathematics developed only after she had started at university. . . . . . .