Mildred Dresselhaus, 'Queen Of Carbon' And Nanoscience Trailblazer, Dies At 86
"From humble origins as the daughter of Eastern European immigrants, raised in the
Bronx in the depths of the Great Depression, Mildred Dresselhaus scaled to great heights in the scientific community and attained the status of royalty — even if only in nickname."
"Dresselhaus, the "Queen of Carbon" and pioneer of nanoscience, died Monday at the age of 86, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. During her celebrated career, she sought to prepare a path for potential successors — the female scientists whom she mentored and opened doors for across decades."
"'When I came, we only had 4 percent of women at MIT, period, and fewer even in physics,' Dresselhaus told NPR in 2007, recalling when she was hired by MIT's Lincoln Laboratory in 1960. 'And today we're getting close to the 50 percent mark.' That's an amazing achievement in one lifetime."
"'Of course, she added modestly, 'I didn't have that much to do with making it all happen.'"