Eva Philbin

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Eva Philbin
University College Galway
SpouseJohn Madden Philbin
ChildrenEimear, Deirdre, Liam
Scientific career
FieldsChemistry
Institutions
Doctoral advisorThomas S. Wheeler
Other academic advisorsTom Dillon, Vlado Prelog

Eva Philbin (4 January 1914 – 24 June 2005) was an Irish chemist who became the first woman president of the Institute of Chemistry of Ireland.[1]

Early life and education

Born Eva Maria Ryder in

University College Galway. While at University College Galway she worked under Tom Dillon where they worked on identifying carbohydrates in seaweed.[3]

Career and research

Philbin began her career in 1939 as an industrial chemist and was chief chemist at Hygeia Ltd in Galway during World War II. At Hygeia she was responsible for developing alternative sources for chemicals that were unavailable due to the war.

In 1945, Philbin joined the staff at

University College, Dublin as demonstrator in the department of chemistry. There she collaborated with Professor Thomas S. Wheeler to establish an active research school in Natural Product Chemistry.[4] Philbin was subsequently promoted to assistant lecturer (1949) and college lecturer (1955). In 1958, Philbin was awarded a doctorate of science (DSc) from the National University of Ireland for her published work on flavonoids.[5] Philbin was one of the first women science professors at UCD when she became an organic chemistry professor in 1962 and in 1963, took over as head of the chemistry department at UCD following the death of Prof. Wheeler.[6] She continued to work on flavonoids, related compounds and potential anti-cancer agents through collaborations with other UCD staff.[7][8] Philbin also held visiting and research fellowships in the United States, and at Zurich, with Vladimir Prelog.[9] She retired from teaching in 1979 from her professorship, but continued to conduct some research.[2]

Over her long career, Philbin became a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a member of the Council of the Royal Irish Academy and the Natural Science Council.[10] Philbin became the first woman to chair the National Science Council, was the first female senior vice-president of the Royal Irish Academy, and was the first woman president of the Institute of Chemistry in 1966.[3][11] Since 2007, the Institute of Chemistry of Ireland Annual Award for Chemistry lectures series has been named in her honor as the Eva Philbin Public Lecture Series.[12][13]

Philbin's interests ranged beyond science, taking a strong interest in the treatment of those with learning difficulties, leading her to take up the chair of the Consultative Council on Mental Handicap as well as becoming honorary treasurer of the National Association for the Mentally Handicapped of Ireland.[10]

Personal life

Philbin married John 'Jack' Madden Philbin, and they had two daughters and a son. Her eldest daughter Eimear married broadcaster and historian John Bowman.[14] Philbin died in 2005, aged 91.[1]

References

  1. ^
    Irish Times. 9 July 2005. Archived from the original
    on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Dictionary of Irish Biography".
  3. ^ a b "Brilliant Chemist who Helped Established Industry". The Irish Times. 9 July 2005.
  4. ISBN 978-1414418612. Archived from the original
    on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  5. ^ Journal of the Royal Institute of Chemistry. 82. 1958. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ^ "Brilliant chemist who helped establish industry". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  7. PMID 5885091
    .
  8. ISSN 0368-1769
    .
  9. doi:10.1038/191439b0
    .
  10. ^
    ISBN 1576070905
    .
  11. ^ "1960–1969 Pioneering Women Professors". UCD Merrion Street. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  12. ^ "Awards, ICI Annual Award for Chemistry, Eva Philbin Lecture, Boyle Higgins Gold Medal, Lecture Award". www.chemistryireland.org. Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  13. ^ "Royal Society of Chemistry".
  14. Irish Times. Archived from the original
    on 16 April 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2015.

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eva_Philbin&oldid=1214809431"