Lena Fitting Kourkoutis (June 6, 1979 – June 24, 2023) was an American physicist working in the field of electron microscopy,[1] and a professor of applied and engineering physics at Cornell University.[2] Her research focused on the use of aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope,[3][4] providing atomic resolution, at cryogenic temperatures (>77K) to study physical processes such as superconductivity[5] and biological structures such as proteins.[6]
Lena Kourkoutis | |
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Born | June 6, 1979 |
Died | (aged 44) |
Alma mater | Cornell University University of Rostock |
Known for | Electron Microscopy |
Scientific career | |
Institutions | Cornell University |
Website | Kourkoutis Electron Microscopy Group |
Education and career
editKourkoutis received her Diplom in Physics from the University of Rostock, in Germany in 2003, and conducted her doctoral research at Cornell University, which she completed in 2009.[7] She then moved back to Germany as a Humboldt Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute in Martinsried between 2011 and 2012, before returning to Cornell University in 2013, first as a postdoctoral fellow, before joining the faculty.[8]
In 2016, Kourkoutis was named as one of the recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.[9]
Death
editKourkoutis died on June 24, 2023, aged 44, after a two-year battle with colon cancer.[10]. A memorial statement is hosted at Cornell. [11]
Awards and honors
edit- 2023 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science[12]
- 2022 Fellow of the American Physical Society[13]
- 2020 Kurt Heinrich Awards of the Microanalysis Society[14]
- 2018 Burton Medal from the Microscopy Society of America.[15]
- 2016 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.[9][16]
- 2014 Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering[17]
- 2013 Albert Crewe Award[7]
References
edit- ^ Lena Kourkoutis – Cornell Research
- ^ Lena Kourkoutis – Cornell faculty directory
- ^ Seeing More with Cryo-STEM – Cornell Research
- ^ OFFICE HOURS | Professor Lena Kourkoutis Discusses Her Research - Sunspots - Cornell Daily Sun
- ^ El Baggari, Ismail; Savitzky, Benjamin H.; Admasu, Alemayehu S.; Kim, Jaewook; Cheong, Sang-Wook; Hovden, Robert; Kourkoutis, Lena F. (2018). "Nature and evolution of incommensurate charge order in manganites visualized with cryogenic scanning transmission electron microscopy". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 115 (7): 1445–1450. arXiv:1708.08871. Bibcode:2018PNAS..115.1445E. doi:10.1073/pnas.1714901115. PMC 5816166. PMID 29382750.
- ^ Wiley Analytical Science website, Lena Kourkoutis: Resolution revolution, article dated August 6, 2015
- ^ a b Microanalysis Society website, In Memory of Lena Kourkoutis, Renowned Electron Microscopist and Mentor, article dated June 28, 2023
- ^ Oxford University Press website, Dr. Lena F. Kourkoutis (1979–2023): Pioneer and Modern Role Model, article by Cameron Varano Casasanta and Bev Maleeff, published in Microscopy Today, Volume 31, Issue 6, November 2023, page 36
- ^ a b Obama White House website, Archives section, President Obama Honors Extraordinary Early-Career Scientists, article dated February 18, 2016
- ^ Diane Tessaglia-Hymes: "Lena Kourkoutis, renowned electron microscopy expert, dies at 44." Cornell Chronicle, June 26, 2023, accessed June 26, 2023.
- ^ David Muller: memorial statement "Memorial Statement for Lena F. Kourkoutis who died in 2023."] Cornell University Faculty Memorial Statements, June 26, 2023, accessed June 26, 2023.
- ^ Cornell University website, Twelve faculty members elected AAAS fellows, article by Tom Fleishman dated January 31, 2023
- ^ "Fellows nominated in 2022". APS Fellows archive. American Physical Society. Retrieved 2022-10-19.
- ^ K. F. J Award 2020 K. F. J Award 2020 - Microanalysis Society
- ^ Microanalysis Society website, 2020 Lena Kourkoutis
- ^ President Obama Awards Early Career Honor to Cornell Scientists – Cornell University
- ^ Lena F. Kourkoutis, 2014 Fellow – The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
External links
edit- Lena Kourkoutis publications indexed by Google Scholar