Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Ada Lovelace Day

A few weeks ago, my dear friends Jason and Ana were talking about Ada Lovelace Day, and trying to convince me to join in, too. Well, without question, I loved the idea of Ada Lovelace Day...but as you all know, I just can't write an eloquent post to save my life (and I felt this occasion definitely deserved a well-written post). Dilemma--do I skip participating altogether or do I write a post that surely won't do an amazing woman justice?

Well, I found a compromise.

I want to introduce you to an incredible woman of science. Audrey Stevens Niyogi. A biochemist. A member of the National Academy of Sciences (which, as the following article states, is "an honor some consider second only to the Nobel Prize"). A woman I was blessed to know personally, because she was Rich's aunt.

Audrey died just a few short weeks ago, on February 28th. And because it tells the story of Audrey and her career better than I ever could, I'm just going to link you to it here.

The picture of her...so very much like I remember her. With her arms crossed that way. I just wish you could get a better look at her beautiful smile, a smile she wore so often.

7 comments:

  1. I will ignore the OUTRAGEOUS LIES in your first paragraph :P

    As I told you back when you first told me about her, she sounds like such an amazing woman. I wish I could have met her.

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  2. I concur with Ana...quit putting yourself down woman!!!

    She sounds like a wonderful, brilliant, and fantastic person!!!! Thanks for introducing us to her!!

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  3. Thanks from the bottom of my heart for sharing this. I had no idea of most of what was in the article since Mom and Audrey didn't really keep in touch. I did know that she only worked halftime when Kris and Dev were young, but her accomplishments and election to NAS came as a complete surprise. Thanks again!

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  4. Ana,
    Not lies...just differences in perception. ;)

    Staci,
    She really was. And are we going to see an Ada Lovelace Day post from you? Pretty please.

    Jean,
    Wasn't that an awesome article?!! Rich and I was stunned by some of the things we learned, too. We did know about her election to the National Academy of Sciences...we took her a bottle of champagne and went out to dinner with her and Salil at the time. But we never really knew much about her work, beyond the fact that she worked a lot with proteins. We had no idea she'd discovered polymerase! Rich, of course, talks about polymerase in every biology class he teaches, but he never had any idea that it was his/your aunt who discovered it! Guess it just goes to prove the point in the article about how modest she was. :)

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  5. Ditto what Nymeth said about your lies...you write beautifully.

    What an incredible woman! Y'all have some kick ass relatives!

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  6. Kara,
    Yeah, but on the downside, we also have plenty that need kicked in the ass. :P

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  7. Thank you again, for sharing someone so personal for Ada Day :). She really does sound like an incredible woman (which isn't too suprising considering her incredible relatives :) ).

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