E. Gail de Planque
Eileen Gail de Planque (also Eileen Gail de Planque Burke, best known as E. Gail de Planque; 1944 – September 8, 2010) was an American nuclear physicist. An expert on environmental radiation measurements, she was the first woman and first health physicist to become a Commissioner at the US government's Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).[1] Her technical areas of expertise included environmental radiation, nuclear facilities monitoring, personnel dosimetry, radiation shielding, radiation transport, and solid state dosimetry.[2][3]
Career
Born in New Jersey and raised in Maryland,[4] Planque earned her bachelor's degree from Immaculata College (Mathematics, 1967), Master's degree from the Newark College of Engineering (Physics, 1973), and PhD from New York University (Environmental health science, 1983).[3][5] From 1967 until 1982, she worked as a physicist for the Atomic Energy Commission.[6] She joined the Environmental Measurements Laboratory, US Department of Energy as its deputy director in 1982, and was promoted to director five years later. From 1991-95, she was a member of the NRC. In 1997, Planque chaired a planning committee, Celebration of Women in Engineering, which developed conferences that encouraged women to choose careers in engineering and included the development of the website EngineerGirl.[3]
A Fellow of the American Nuclear Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Planque was also a member of the National Academy of Engineering,[7] Association of Women in Science, and the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. She served as president of the ANS (1988–89),[4] and Health Physics Society; as well as the co-chair of Committee for International Intercomparison of Environmental Dosimeters. In the late 1970s, Planque was a US expert delegate to the international committee for Development of an International Standard on Thermoluminescence Dosimetry.[3]
Personal life
Planque was married to Frank Burke.[8] She lived in New York City,[9] and Potomac, Maryland.[10] Planque died in 2010.[11]
Awards
- 1990, Women of Achievement in Energy award [4]
- 1991, Outstanding Woman Scientist of the Year award [11]
- 2003, Henry DeWolf Smyth Award for Nuclear Statesmanship
- 2004, Women in Technology International Hall of Fame inductees
References
- ^ Cox, Morgan; Richard Griffith; Hans Julius; Joe McDonald (24 December 2010). "Obituary". Radiation Protection Dosimetry. 142 (1): 3. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
- ^ "About NRC: Our Organization: The Commission: Former Commissioners: Dr. E. Gail de Planque". United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
- ^ a b c d Wayne, Tiffany K. (2011). American Women of Science Since 1900: Essays A-H. Vol.1. ABC-CLIO. pp. 341–. ISBN 978-1-59884-158-9.
- ^ a b c "E. Gail de Planque". The Star-Ledger. September 26, 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
- ^ "In Memoriam: E. Gail de Planque". Health Physics Society. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
- ^ Lubenau, CHP, Joel O. "In Memoriam: E. Gail de Planque". Health Physics Society. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
- ^ "E. Planque". Forbes. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
- ^ "Dr. E. Gail de Planque". The Hartford Courant on. September 26, 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
- ^ United States. National Bureau of Standards (1976). Measurements for the safe use of radiation: proceedings of an NBS 75th anniversary symposium held at the National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, Maryland, March 1–4, 1976. NBS : for sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. Govt. Print. Office. p. 436.
- ^ Committee on the Impact of Selling the Federal Helium Reserve; Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Applications; Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems; Board on Physics and Astronomy; National Materials Advisory Board; National Research Council (23 May 2000). The Impact of Selling the Federal Helium Reserve. National Academies Press. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-309-07038-6.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b "GAIL DE PLANQUE Obituary". The New York Times. 2010-10-08. Retrieved 2019-02-21.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- 1944 births
- 2010 deaths
- Scientists from New Jersey
- American nuclear physicists
- American women physicists
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials
- Immaculata University alumni
- New Jersey Institute of Technology alumni
- New York University alumni
- Health physicists
- Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
- 20th-century American women scientists
- 21st-century American women scientists
- 20th-century American physicists
- 21st-century American physicists