Renowned physicist Rohini Godbole passes away

Bengaluru: Renowned theoretical physicist Rohini Godbole, whose contribution to expanding the understanding of the fundamental building blocks of nature was only matched by her groundbreaking work advocating for women in science, passed away in her sleep on Friday.

“Pained by the passing away of Rohini Godbole ji. She was a pioneering scientist and innovator, who also was a strong votary of more women in the world of science. Her academic efforts will continue to guide the coming generations. Condolences to her family and admirers. Om Shanti,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X.

A Padma Shri laureaute, Godbole was associated with the Centre for High Energy Physics at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru for over 25 years. Born in Pune in 1952, Godbole completed her BSc (Physics) from the University of Pune, securing the first rank. She went on to complete her MSc from the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, in 1974, receiving the institute’s silver medal. Godbole completed her PhD from the Stony Brook University, New York, in 1979.

But she was best known for her work with CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research that hosts the world’s biggest atom-smasher, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Her work, along with European contributors, focussed on ways in which the collider could search for hitherto unseen fundamental particles such as the top quark and the Higgs boson.

“In addition to being a great scientist, she was a great leader, guide, colleague, and friend. She was a champion of women in science,” IISc said in a statement.

“Prof Godbole was a pioneer of particle physics in India. While she has ventured into various sub-branches of the field, the main focus of her research remained collider physics, in particular top and Higgs physics. She was a champion for future colliders, in particular the ILC and its variants,” the statement added.

But she was best known for her work with CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research that hosts the world’s biggest atom-smasher, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Her work, along with European contributors, focussed on ways in which the collider could search for hitherto unseen fundamental particles such as the top quark and the Higgs boson.

“In addition to being a great scientist, she was a great leader, guide, colleague, and friend. She was a champion of women in science,” IISc said in a statement.

“Prof Godbole was a pioneer of particle physics in India. While she has ventured into various sub-branches of the field, the main focus of her research remained collider physics, in particular top and Higgs physics. She was a champion for future colliders, in particular the ILC and its variants,” the statement added.

She was a visiting professor at various institutes and universities around the world, including the CERN theory department where she was a scientific associate. After serving on the faculty of the University of Bombay, she joined IISc in November 1995. She retired as a full professor from the Institute in July 2018 but continued at CHEP.

In addition to her scientific work, Godbole’s legacy was burnished by her pioneering work advocating for women in science. She was among the authors of a report titled ‘INSA Report: Access of Indian Women to Careers in Science’, a first-of-its-kind document that dealt with issues that Indian women faced while pursuing science in college and later as a career.

In 2008, she co-edited Lilavati’s Daughters, a pathbreaking collection of nearly 100 biographical essays on women scientists of India.

“So much of my understanding of and empathy for the women in STEM movement in India came from conversations with Rohini Godbole. I was always amazed at how open and helpful she was despite her seniority. Won’t forget you, Rohini,” Nandita Jayaraj, co-author of Lab Hopping: A Journey to Find India’s Women In Science, posted on X.