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 October 26, 1940) is a Swiss scientist and athlete. She is known for her work as a geologist and for her skills in orienteering. She used to be a professor at ETH Zurich, a famous university in Switzerland. Katharina also worked hard to make sure girls and women had equal chances in science. She helped create an office at ETH Zurich in 1993 to support equal opportunities for everyone.

Early Life and Education

Katharina was born in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1940. She studied geology at the University of Berne. In 1965, she earned her PhD there. Her studies focused on geology and sedimentology, which is the study of how sediments form and change.

Sports Career

Katharina was a talented athlete in orienteering. This sport involves using a map and compass to find your way through different terrains.

Orienteering Achievements

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 the unofficial relay race.

In 1964, at the European Championships, she won a silver medal. This was for the relay event with her Swiss team. She also placed tenth in the individual race that year.

Katharina won another silver medal at the 1966 World Orienteering Championships. This was in the individual event held in Fiskars. Her Swiss team finished 4th in the relay event.

Climbing and Equality

Besides orienteering, Katharina also made several first-ascents in climbing. This means she was the first person to successfully climb certain routes. However, she faced a challenge back then. She was not allowed to join the all-male Alpine climbing club at Berne University. This club was even funded by her own grandfather. This shows how she faced gender inequality early in her life.

Scientific Career

Katharina Perch-Nielsen started her science career as a researcher. She worked in Copenhagen, Denmark, and then in Paris, France. In 1968, she became a lecturer in Copenhagen. She stayed there until 1974.

Working Around the World

Between 1974 and 1989, she moved with her family to many different cities. These included Zurich, Amsterdam, Vienna, The Hague, and London. During this time, she held academic jobs at places like the Free University Amsterdam. She also worked at the Naturhistorisches Museum Vienna. She even worked for Shell as a consultant, studying tiny fossils to understand rock layers.

Professor at ETH Zurich

In 1989, Katharina returned to Zurich. She was appointed as a professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH). This is a very respected university. As a professor, she taught about micropaleontology. This is the study of very small fossils.

Promoting Gender Equality

At ETH Zurich, Katharina was very passionate about helping girls and women. She worked hard to improve their position in science. She wanted to make sure they had equal opportunities at Swiss universities and high schools. She was a key person in starting the Office of Equal Opportunities for Men and Women at ETH Zurich. This office has been helping students and staff since 1993.

Awards and Recognition

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

• In 1998, she was given the Steno Medal. This award recognized her important work in micropaleontology in Denmark and Greenland. She was also a pioneer in studying coccoliths, which are tiny marine fossils.
• 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. It also recognized her deep knowledge of nannofossils.

Personal Life

Katharina Perch-Nielsen 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 Scientific Papers

Katharina Perch-Nielsen wrote many important scientific papers. Here are a few examples of her work:

• Geological and sedimentological studies in Molasse and Quaternary 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)