Isabella Karle
Isabella Karle | |
|---|---|
Karle at her retirement in 2009 | |
| Born | Isabella Helen Lugoski December 2, 1921 |
| Died | October 3, 2017 (aged 95) Alexandria, Virginia, U.S. |
| Resting place | Columbia Gardens Cemetery Arlington, Virginia, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan, BS, MS, PhD |
| Known for | X-ray scattering technique to study biological, chemical, metallurgical, and physical characteristics of crystals |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | National Medal of Science, Achievement award Society of Women Engineers, Garvan–Olin Medal, Gregori Aminoff Prize, Bower Award |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Crystallography |
| Doctoral advisor | Lawrence O. Brockway |
Isabella Helen Karle (née Lugoski; December 2, 1921 – October 3, 2017) was an American chemist who revolutionized crystallography laying the foundation for three-dimensional structures of molecules which facilitates the study of the biological, chemical, metallurgical, and physical characteristics of the molecules. This information provides the ability to synthesize those molecules. Her method improved the speed and accuracy of chemical and biomedical analysis and enabled the development of new pharmaceutical products and other synthesized materials.
For her scientific work, Karle received the National Medal of Science from President Clinton in 1995 "for the development and application of a method for determining essentially equal-atom crystal and molecular structures by x-ray analysis, thereby having a profound effect on the practice of organic and biological chemistry". She received several honorary doctorates and the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Award (which is the Navy's highest form of recognition to civilian employees).