Renowned physicist Rohini Godbole passes away

Bengaluru: Renowned physicist and Padma Shri award winner Professor Rohini M Godbole passed away on Friday, according to the Centre for High Energy Physics (CHEP), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru.

Godbole was 71.

Godbole, a brilliant researcher and a champion of women in science, joined CHEP as an associate professor in 1995 and has been a professor since 1998. Post her superannuation on July 31, 2021, she became an honorary professor.

Her countless students and colleagues have taken to 'X' to pay tribute to her.

Joydeep Chakraborty, Professor of Theoretical Physics at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur posted on 'X': "It's a huge loss not only for the HEP community but also for physics in general... She will be remembered as a great physicist and a teacher who motivated younger people to pursue careers in research."

K Vijaya Raghavan, Developmental biologist at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research said on 'X' that she was full of energy and drive. "She was a physicist, flag-bearer for women in science, a public citizen and a friend to many. She will be missed and is irreplaceable," his post read.

According to her colleague at IISc, Arindam Ghosh, Godbole was much more than a renowned scientist. "She was a leader, and a strong advocate of women in science. She was a friend who will be missed," he posted on 'X'.

Siddharth Kanakaria, who works at the intersection of science communication research, practice, and teaching in India, and is an alumni of IISc also took to 'X' to recollect how Godbole, in addition to her excellent work in particle physics, she also championed inclusion of women in STEM.

"I had the opportunity of interviewing her about the state of women in STEM in 2017 and will always remember our engaged and spirited conversation lasting several hours!" said Kanakaria.

Apart from IISc Bengaluru, Raman Research Institute, which pursues research in basic sciences, also put out a condolence message for Professor Godbole.

"We, @RRI_Bangalore, deeply mourn the untimely passing of Prof. Rohini Godbole," read the post on the official handle of the institute.

A memorial service was held on Friday at the Physical Sciences Auditorium of the CHEP.