Interview Summary
Rohini Godbole talks about attending the Science Talent Summer School in Kanpur, navigating unsafe workplaces. She emphasises the need for active participation by men and women to create a safe research environment.
She describes her travel and preparation for her PhD at Stony Brook University (SUNY – State University of New York), her experiences in adjusting to American culture, and being a part of the Indian student community. She talks about the November Revolution in Particle Physics in 1974, which is when she began her PhD, attending C N Yang’s lectures and the J/ψ particle was discovered in Brookhaven National Laboratory.
She talks about her PhD journey, teaching assistantships, summer jobs, difficulty in finding the right PhD advisor, and the challenges of publishing papers. She also talks about new experiences and friendships, her introduction to feminism and decision to go back to India for her postdoc.
She talks about her sabbatical during which she went to CERN, and her decision to return to India for her postdoc. She talks about global politics and the Emergency in India during this period of her life, her involvement in the anti-nuclear movement and her opinions on Indian politics.
(00:00:00) Science Talent Summer School at IIT Kanpur; navigating gender dynamics in research; emphasis on creating a safe workplace on your own for women
(00:12:01) Advice for women scientists about handling unsavoury workplace interactions or unsafe workplace environment
(00:17:33) Preparing for PhD at Stony Brook; financial struggles and scholarships
(00:22:00) Travel hurdles on the way to the US; cultural adjustments
(00:25:58) Early PhD challenges and comprehensive exams
(00:29:11) Teaching assistantships; experience teaching "Physics for Poets"
(00:31:13) New experiences and ideas on education in Stony Brook; inclusion of foreign students in the physics department
(00:33:22) Cultural shocks in the US; adjusting to mixed-gender dorms
(00:37:38) Studying under C. N. Yang; significance of the J/ψ particle discovery
(00:40:41) Working hard for C.N. Yang’s classes on particle physics. Deep engagement in particle physics; gauge theory and Standard Model discussions
(00:43:21) Support from the International Students Office for medical and social issues
(00:44:31) First summer research experience; writing first research paper
[00:45:45 - 00:46:20: Archivist’s Note - break or interruption]
(00:46:21) Social life among Indian students; meal planning and sense of community
(00:52:45) Host family experience; Indian-American cultural connections
(00:56:35) Difficulty in finding a PhD advisor; switching from Daniel Freedman to Bill Weisberger and finally to Jack Smith
[01:03:40 - 01:07:16: Archivist’s Note - break or interruption]
(01:07:16) Travelling to India for personal matter conflicting with academic work; missing
(01:11:46) CERN sabbatical; postdoctoral opportunities in high-energy physics
(01:12:12) Significant research contributions based on SLAC experiment; two-photon physics
(01:14:25) Higgs boson research in neutrino scattering; later relevance
(01:18:26) Cultural experiences outside academia; attending the Montreal Olympics
(01:21:53) Part-time jobs during PhD; exposure to feminist perspectives
(01:25:26) Learning from Helen Quinn’s sacrifices and work as a female particle physicist
(01:29:35) Finalizing PhD and dealing with personal setbacks
(01:37:11) Declining a Netherlands postdoc; choosing to return to India
(01:42:33) Long-lasting friendships and collaborations from Stony Brook
(01:47:14) PhD Advisor’s response on the interviewee’s decision to go back to India for a postdoc.
(01:50:30) Challenges of staying connected with family in India
(01:55:54) Following Indian politics through Illustrated Weekly of India
[1:59:33 - 1:59:55: Archivist’s Note: break or interruption]
(01:59:55) Political reflections on the Emergency
(02:03:34) Reflection on the hydrogen bomb in 1995, IISc’s response; perspectives on India's nuclear policy and academic debates; being part of the anti-nuclear movement in TIFR
(02:07:57) Observations on student activism and protest culture – CAA protests; lack of space for debates
(02:09:42) Brief mentions of Science Congress meetings
(02:12:29) Differences in social life between Mumbai and Bangalore
(02:14:11) Advocacy for women in science
(02:15:35) Ending the session
Dates
- Creation: 2023-03-30
Creator
- Deepika S (Interviewer, Person)
- Godbole, Rohini (Interviewee, Person)
- Samyamee Sreevathsa (Processing Archivist, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Level of Access: Open/Online
Biography
Rohini Godbole (12 November 1952 – 25 October 2024) was an Indian physicist and a Professor at the Centre for High Energy Physics at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, where she worked for over 25 years. She completed her Master’s degree in Physics from the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, and her PhD from Stony Brook University, USA, in 1979.
She primarily worked in particle physics, with her research interests including Nucleon Structure functions, Physics beyond Standard Model, Quantum Chromodynamics, the Higgs Boson, Supersymmetry, collider phenomenology, Photon interactions, Linear Collider Physics, String theory and experimental physics. For her contributions to science, Godbole was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honor, in January 2019. In 2021, she was honored with the Ordre National du Mérite (National Order of Merit) for fostering Indo-French scientific collaboration. She was also elected as a Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) in 2010 for her efforts in advancing science in developing countries.
In addition to these recognitions, she received numerous awards and accolades for her contributions to particle physics and for encouraging women to pursue careers in science, both in India and internationally. She was a strong advocate for women in science and has written extensively and engaged with the public on this topic.
Extent
136 Minutes
Language of Materials
English
Repository Details
Part of the Archives at NCBS Repository
National Centre for Biological Sciences - Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Bangalore Karnataka 560065 India
+9180 6717 6010
+9180 6717 6011
archives@ncbs.res.in