Each time a woman stands up for herself, she stands up for all women.

Maya Angelou

This Monday I received a message from an old friend I used to work with more than a decade ago. He told me that my postdoctoral mentor, Barbara H. Igleswki, had passed away. I haven’t spoken to her in years, as my career has moved me into different areas (industry vs academia) and geographical locations. I have thought of her fondly over the years, in gratitude to her guidance and support as well as fun and not so fun experiences during my tenure in her lab, and her passing hit me harder than I thought. Barbara was a force of nature. I believe we all harbor pieces of the universe in us that we call “soul” and her energy was the type that births stars and galaxies. To think that had been snuffed out was unimaginable. Like the death of a star, the news of her passing felt like a large black hole opened up where she once stood. I was numb.

The first few times I sat with Barbara after I joined her lab, she shared how she came to be where she was. She was often told that because she was a woman she didn’t belong in science. This did not sway her from her passion and she continued to fight to obtain roles and positions that men traditionally held and to be compensated equitably. She had aspirations for herself that would not be denied and with her tenacity, brilliance, and drive, she achieved greatness. Her scientific discoveries led to paradigm shifts in our ideas of microbes and our world. She was the most impressive speaker I ever heard—inviting the audience to pull up a chair in a fireside chat while she weaved tales of her scientific works and those of others. This was even more impressive when I learned she had terrible stage fright and would get sick before every speech she gave. She was amazing not only for her intellect but for her courage, heart, and her dedication. She always reached to pull others with her, especially women. She was exquisitely aware that she was not only blazing her own trail but she was a shining beacon for those to follow in her footsteps. And she wanted us to follow. I was one of many in her lifetime whom she helped train and launch their own careers. She was the only female mentor I had in the past 2 decades, demonstrating just how few women are in positions of influence in my chosen fields-science and engineering, even today.

There are people who are timeless, perhaps because of so much they create in this world, with a presence that bends reality. Barbara was one of those people whose life impacted not only those she knew directly but those around the world, and her legacy will influence those yet to come. She gave one of her last messages directed to women in her speech when she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. She reminded us that our progress as women was not over, that there was much to be done for us to be seen and appreciated for who we are, and it was our duty to do so. I will be forever grateful to have been in her sphere, and strive to carry the spirit of her path to those around and those who come after me with my own legacy to honor hers.

https://www.womenofthehall.org/inductee/barbara-iglewski/

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1011148