My career in astronomy began in the summer of 1963 when I enrolled as a graduate student in the Department of Astronomy at the University of Toronto. In those days, young women were discouraged from pursuing professional careers, particularly in STEM fields. Therefore it was reassuring to see that the astronomy department at U of T did not share the prevailing viewpoint. At the time, two of the seven faculty members were women: Helen Sawyer Hogg and Ruth Northcott. Both were influential role models for me and for other women of my generation. Helen was my friend and mentor until her death in 1993. Sadly Ruth died in 1969, far too soon, but I am happy that I had the opportunity to know her for a few years.

Helen was my graduate supervisor. My thesis was based on projects that made use of her extensive collection of globular cluster photographs, obtained at the David Dunlap Observatory. After I received my PhD, I spent a few years as a postdoctoral fellow, first at the Asiago Astrophysical Observatory in Italy and later at the David Dunlap Observatory.

In 1974, I joined the academic staff of the University of Toronto astronomy department. By that time, the University had set up a 24-inch telescope in the southern hemisphere and that is where I carried out my research. The telescope, later named the Helen Sawyer Hogg telescope, was located at the Observatory of the Carnegie Institution of Washington in Chile. In addition, throughout my career, I was greatly involved in teaching and administration in U of T's undergraduate program in astronomy.

I retired in 2006 and was appointed Professor Emeritus.

Since that time, my main professional astronomical activity has been to maintain a web-based catalogue of variable stars in globular clusters:

http://www.astro.utoronto.ca/~cclement/read.html

It is a continuation of the variable star catalogues that Helen published in 1939, 1955 and 1973.

I have enjoyed my retirement years travelling and attending conferences and numerous cultural events with my husband, Maurice Clement, who is also a University of Toronto Astronomy Professor Emeritus.

—Spring 2021