E. Gail de Planque

Eileen Gail de Planque (also Eileen Gail de Planque Burke, best known as E. Gail de Planque; 1944 – September 8, 2010) was an American nuclear physicist. An expert on environmental radiation measurements, she was the first woman and first health physicist to become a commissioner at the US government's Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).^[3] Her technical areas of expertise included environmental radiation, nuclear facility monitoring, personnel dosimetry, radiation shielding, radiation transport, and solid state dosimetry.^[4][5]

Eileen Gail de Planque
Born	1944 (1944) New Jersey
Died	September 8, 2010(2010-09-08) (aged 65–66)
Other names	Eileen Gail de Planque Burke
Alma mater	Immaculata University New Jersey Institute of Technology New York University
Known for	Expert on environmental radiation measurements First woman to become a commissioner at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Spouse	Frank Burke
Awards	Women of Achievement in Energy award [1] (1990) Outstanding Woman Scientist of the Year award [2] (1991) Henry DeWolf Smyth Award for Nuclear Statesmanship (2003) Women in Technology International Hall of Fame inductees (2004)
Scientific career
Fields	Nuclear physics
Institutions	United States Atomic Energy Commission Nuclear Regulatory Commission Environmental Measurements Laboratory

Career

Born in New Jersey and raised in Maryland,^[1] Planque earned her bachelor's degree from Immaculata College (mathematics, 1967), master's degree from the Newark College of Engineering (physics, 1973), and PhD from New York University (environmental health science, 1983).^[5][6] From 1967 until 1982, she worked as a physicist for the Atomic Energy Commission.^[7] She joined the Environmental Measurements Laboratory, US Department of Energy, as its deputy director in 1982, and was promoted to director five years later. From 1991 to 1995, she was a member of the NRC. In 1997, Planque chaired a planning committee, Celebration of Women in Engineering, which developed conferences that encouraged women to choose careers in engineering and included the development of the website EngineerGirl.^[5]

A fellow of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Planque was also a member of the National Academy of Engineering,^[8] the Association of Women in Science, and the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. In the late 1970s, Planque was a US expert delegate to the international committee for Development of an International Standard on Thermoluminescence Dosimetry.^[5]

Planque served as president of the ANS from 1988 to 1989^[1] the Health Physics Society, as well as Strategy Matters, Inc.^{[citation needed]} She was Co-Chair of Committee for International Intercomparison of Environmental Dosimeters^{[citation needed]} and director for Energy Strategists Consultancy, Ltd.^{[citation needed]} She also served on the boards of Northeast Utilities Corporation, British Nuclear Fuels, EnergySolutions, Inc., Landauer, Inc., TXU Corporation, and BHP Billiton.^[9]

Personal life

Planque was married to Frank Burke.^[10] She lived in New York City,^[11] and Potomac, Maryland.^[12] She died in 2010.^[2]

Awards

• Women of Achievement in Energy award ^[1] (1990)
• Outstanding Woman Scientist of the Year award ^[2] (1991)
• Henry DeWolf Smyth Award for Nuclear Statesmanship (2003)
• Women in Technology International Hall of Fame inductees (2004)

References

1. "E. Gail de Planque". The Star-Ledger. September 26, 2010. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
2. "Gail De Planque Obituary". The New York Times. October 8, 2010. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
3. Cox, Morgan; Richard Griffith; Hans Julius; Joe McDonald (December 24, 2010). "Obituary". Radiation Protection Dosimetry. 142 (1): 3. Archived from the original on April 23, 2014. Retrieved April 23, 2014.
4. "About NRC: Our Organization: The Commission: Former Commissioners: Dr. E. Gail de Planque". United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
5. Wayne, Tiffany K. (2011). American Women of Science Since 1900: Essays A-H. Vol.1. ABC-CLIO. pp. 341–. ISBN 978-1-59884-158-9.
6. "In Memoriam: E. Gail de Planque". Health Physics Society. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
7. Lubenau, CHP, Joel O. "In Memoriam: E. Gail de Planque". Health Physics Society. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
8. "E. Planque". Forbes. Archived from the original on April 22, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
9. "E. Gail de Planque, Ph.D., MSA SC 3520-17118". msa.maryland.gov. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
10. "Dr. E. Gail de Planque". The Hartford Courant on. September 26, 2010. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
11. United States. National Bureau of Standards (1976). Measurements for the safe use of radiation: proceedings of an NBS 75th anniversary symposium held at the National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, Maryland, March 1–4, 1976. NBS : for sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. Govt. Print. Office. p. 436.
12. Committee on the Impact of Selling the Federal Helium Reserve; Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Applications; Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems; Board on Physics and Astronomy; National Materials Advisory Board; National Research Council (May 23, 2000). The Impact of Selling the Federal Helium Reserve. National Academies Press. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-309-07038-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)