In Memoriam: Dr. Katharine Blodgett Gebbie

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Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Dr. Katharine Gebbie, past director of the Physical Measurement Laboratory at NIST, with VCU SPS President Amy Chavis.

The Society of Physics Students (SPS) and Sigma Pi Sigma Honor Society extends their deepest condolences to the family of Katharine Blodgett Gebbie on her passing on Wednesday, August 17, 2016. Gebbie served for more than 20 years as a director of National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) laboratories and under her leadership NIST staff won four Nobel Prizes and two MacArthur Fellowships. Individually she won the US Department of Commerce Gold Medal, the Women in Science and Engineering Lifetime Achievement Award, and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Throughout her career, Gebbie was a tireless advocate for women and minorities in science and sought any opportunity she could to share that passion with the next generation of scientists. Not only has she supported SPS but numerous SPS students and interns have spoken of the power of her words. She was a strong proponent of the summer intern program, PhysCon, and the Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP).  Her kindness, wisdom and generosity will be dearly missed.