Darleane C. Hoffman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Darleane C. Hoffman
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Darleane Christian
November 8, 1926 Terril, Iowa, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Iowa State University |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Nuclear chemistry |
| Institutions | Los Alamos National Laboratory University of California, Berkeley |
Darleane Christian Hoffman, born on November 8, 1926, is a famous American scientist. She is a nuclear chemist, which means she studies the tiny parts of atoms. Dr. Hoffman was part of the team that proved a new element, called seaborgium, really existed. This element is number 106 on the periodic table. She works as a top scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and teaches at UC Berkeley. Because of her amazing work, Discover magazine named her one of the 50 most important women in science in 2002.
Early Life and Learning
Darleane Christian was born at home in Terril, Iowa, on November 8, 1926. Her parents were Carl B. and Elverna Clute Christian. Her father taught math and was in charge of schools. Her mother wrote and directed plays.
When she started college at Iowa State College (now Iowa State University), she took a chemistry class. Her teacher, Nellie May Naylor, made chemistry exciting. Darleane decided then that she wanted to study chemistry. She earned her bachelor's degree in 1948 and her Ph.D. in nuclear chemistry in 1951, both from Iowa State University.
A Career in Science
Darleane C. Hoffman worked as a chemist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory for one year. Then, she joined her husband at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. At first, she faced a challenge because the human resources department did not think a woman could be a chemist. But she proved them wrong and started working there in 1953.
By 1979, she became the leader of the Chemistry and Nuclear Chemistry Division. In 1984, she left Los Alamos. She became a professor at UC Berkeley and led a group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. This group studied heavy elements and radiochemistry.
Dr. Hoffman also helped start the Seaborg Institute for Transactinium Science. This was at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in 1991. She was its first director until 1996. After that, she became a Senior Advisor. Throughout her career, she studied special elements called transuranium elements. She is well-known for confirming that seaborgium truly exists.
Personal Life
After finishing her Ph.D., Darleane Christian married Marvin M. Hoffman. He was a physicist, another type of scientist. The Hoffmans had two children. Their daughter, Maureane Hoffman, became a doctor and earned a Ph.D. from Duke University School of Medicine. Their son, Dr. Daryl Hoffman, became a plastic surgeon. Both children were born in Los Alamos.
Awards and Honors
Darleane C. Hoffman has received many important awards for her work:
- 2023 – Enrico Fermi Presidential Award
- 2014 – Los Alamos Medal
- 2000 – Priestley Medal (She was only the second woman to win this award)
- 1997 – National Medal of Science
- 1990 – Garvan-Olin Medal
- 1986 – Fellow of the American Physical Society
- 1983 – ACS Award for Nuclear Chemistry (She was the first woman to win this award)
- 1978 – Guggenheim Fellowship
She is also a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.
See also
In Spanish: Darleane C. Hoffman para niños
