Ames Lab researcher Pat Thiel passes away

Ames Lab researcher Pat Thiel passes away

Pat Thiel, 67, Ames Laboratory Scientist and Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Materials Science and Engineering at Iowa State University, passed away on Sept. 7 following a long battle with breast cancer. A Celebration of Life was held September 18 in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union and her obituary can be found HERE on the Adams Funeral Homes.

Pat was a scientist at Ames Laboratory and a faculty member at Iowa State since 1983, accumulating numerous high-profile awards and recognition throughout her career in the research of surface chemistry at the atomic scale. In 2019, she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She held several leadership posts at Ames Laboratory and Iowa State, including Chief Research Officer for the Laboratory, and Chair of the Department of Chemistry for the University.

In addition to her many accomplishments as a scientist and researcher, she was valued for her intense and lively interest in her subject matter, her many collaborations across the global community of scientists, her mentorship of developing scientists, and for her friendship. She will be greatly missed.