Katharina Perch-Nielsen facts for kids

Katharina Perch-Nielsen

Medal record
Women's orienteering
Representing  Switzerland
World Championships
Silver	1966 Fiskars	Individual
European Championships
Silver	1964 Le Brassus	Relay

Katharina von Salis Perch-Nielsen, born on October 26, 1940, is a Swiss geologist and a talented orienteering competitor. She used to be a professor at ETH Zurich, a famous university in Switzerland. She retired from her teaching role on October 1, 2001. During her time as a professor, she worked hard to make sure girls and women had equal chances in science. She helped create an office at ETH Zurich in 1993 that supports equal opportunities for everyone.

Early Life and Learning

Katharina was born in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1940. She studied geology at the University of Berne. In 1965, she earned her PhD in geology and sedimentology there.

Sports Achievements

Katharina was a great athlete in orienteering. This sport combines running and navigation with a map and compass.

European and World Championships

She competed in the very first European Orienteering Championships in 1962. She finished 6th in the individual race. She also won a bronze medal with the Swiss team in an unofficial relay race. At the 1964 European Championships, she won a silver medal in the relay for Switzerland. She also placed tenth in the individual event. In 1966, she won a silver medal in the individual event at the 1966 World Orienteering Championships. She finished 4th in the relay race with her Swiss team.

Climbing Adventures

Katharina also made several first-ascents in climbing. This means she was the first person to successfully climb certain routes. However, at that time, she was not allowed to join the all-male Alpine climbing club at Berne University. This club was even funded by her own grandfather!

Scientific Career

Katharina Perch-Nielsen started her science career as a researcher. She worked first in Copenhagen, Denmark, and then in Paris, France.

Teaching and Research

In 1968, she became a lecturer in Copenhagen and stayed there until 1974. From 1974 to 1989, she lived in different cities with her family. These included Zurich, Amsterdam, Vienna, The Hague, and London. During this time, she held academic jobs at the Free University Amsterdam and the Naturhistorisches Museum Vienna. She also worked as a consultant for Shell, studying tiny fossils. In 1989, she became a professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zürich.

Awards and Recognition

Katharina Perch-Nielsen has received several important awards for her work.

Major Awards

In 1998, she was given the Steno Medal. This award recognized her work in micropaleontology in Denmark and Greenland. She was also a pioneer in studying tiny fossils called coccoliths. In 2003, she became an Honorary Member of the International Nannoplankton Association. In 2007, she received the Prize by the Somazzi Foundation. This was for her work in geology and for promoting equal opportunities. In 2008, she was awarded the Brady Medal. This medal honored her contributions to studying tiny fossils and ancient life forms.

Personal Life

Katharina grew up in Zollikofen, Switzerland. Her mother was a journalist. Her grandmother was a painter, a mountaineer, and a single mother. Katharina married Jørgen Perch-Nielsen, a chemical engineer from Denmark. They have three daughters named Nina, Christina, and Sabine.

Selected Works

• Geological and Sedimentological Studies Southeast of Wolhusen (1965)
• The Fine Structure and Classification of Coccoliths from the Maastrichtian of Denmark (1968)
• Revision of Triassic Stratigraphy of the Scoresby Land and Jameson Land Region, East Greenland (1974)