Physicist, Proponent, and Pioneer—Celebrating the Life of the Late Prof. Rohini Godbole
How does one sum up the life of one so exalted as Prof. Rohini Godbole? Perhaps it’s fitting to view her legacy through two profound lenses: the physics she embraced and the advocacy she championed.
Born in Pune in 1952, Prof. Godbole was an alumna of the University of Pune, the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, and the State University of New York at Stony Brook, USA—where she obtained her Ph.D. in 1979. After a stint at the Tata Institute for Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai, she joined the faculty at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), the institution with which she was associated for the rest of her life. She also served as visiting faculty at several universities and institutions worldwide, including the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). In 2023, she joined the Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence (SNIoE) as a Distinguished Visiting Professor. She was also conferred an honorary Doctorate of SNIoE during the annual convocation held in July 2023.
Prof. Godbole’s work shaped the field of high-energy physics. Her research was instrumental in furthering our understanding of the Standard Model of Physics, quantum chromodynamics, and physics beyond the standard model. Collider physics was one of the cornerstones of her career, and her work was fundamental to describing how multiple constructs of the Standard Model could be assessed in colliders. This includes the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2013, an event for which she was present at CERN. Along with her long-term collaborator Manuel Drees, she identified the Drees–Godbole effect, which describes the interaction of photons and hadrons in particle colliders, a significant design concern in the next-generation particle colliders. Prof. Godbole was also an adviser for several proposed particle colliders, including the International Linear Collider in Japan and the Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC) in China.
Throughout her extraordinary career, Prof. Godbole made numerous other impactful contributions, including co-authoring a seminal textbook on supersymmetry (SUSY) and shaping India’s scientific agenda through her involvement in the Scientific Advisory Committees to the Union Cabinet and the Planning Commission. She was an elected fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences (IAS), the Indian National Science Academy (INSA), the National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI), and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS). In 2019, her pioneering work in particle physics earned her the Padma Shri award.
In the later years of her career, Prof. Godbole's research interests expanded towards dark matter, particularly within the context of SUSY. Her work in this area continued to be published in respected journals, such as Physical Review Letters, until recently. As Prof. Sanjeev Galande, Dean of the School of Natural Sciences at SNIoE, recalls, “We were honoured to have Prof. Godbole deliver lectures on SUSY in the Electroweak Sector and Dark Matter in the Universe. Her talks were always inspiring, cutting-edge, thought-provoking, and extremely enjoyable too. She played a key role in shaping the future directions of the Department of Physics at our institution and mentored many young faculty. She will be sorely missed.”
Of course, as extensive as Prof. Godbole’s contributions to STEM are, her efforts toward inclusivity and the empowerment of women in science were equally impactful. In 2003, Prof. Godbole became a founding chair of the Women in Science committee at the Indian Academy of Sciences—the same committee that published the INSA report on women’s access and retention in scientific careers in 2004. An eye-opener, the report set the equity and inclusion agenda for many of the preeminent scientific organisations and institutions in the country. In 2010, she and her colleagues published a follow-up to the report, which detailed how family responsibility is not the primary contributor to the ‘leaky pipeline’ in STEM—which is the significant drop in the number of women progressing from undergraduate and graduate studies to faculty positions. In addition, the report outlined how institutional policies such as transparency in selection, disclosure of gender breakdowns, provision of day-care facilities, etc., can improve the retention of women in science. Prof. Godbole was also the author of popular books on women in STEM—Lilavati’s Daughters and The Girl’s Guide to a Life in Science.
In 2024, Prof. Godbole co-convened the inauguration of SNIoE’s Gender and STEM initiative along with Dr. Ananya Mukherjee, Vice Chancellor of SNIoE. This initiative aims to implement structured programmes to advance gender equity at an institutional level, ensuring that women not only enter but thrive in STEM fields and leadership roles, and their contributions to STEM are recognised, valued, and celebrated. Speaking of Prof. Godbole’s contribution, Dr. Mukherjee shares: “Prof. Godbole was a true advocate for women in STEM. Her inputs were vital to the Gender and STEM initiative at the Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence. We’ve lost one of the bastions of inclusivity in Indian science. She will be deeply missed.”
Prof. Rohini Godbole’s life stands as a testament to the power of intellect, determination, and an unwavering commitment to progress. Her dual legacy—as a physicist who expanded the boundaries of human understanding and as a tireless advocate for inclusivity in STEM—serves as an enduring inspiration for scholars, scientists, and changemakers alike. Highlighting her invaluable impact, Prof. Susanta Sinha Roy, Head of the Department of Physics at SNIoE, says, “Rohini Godbole was a giant in her field, not just because of her contributions to physics, but also her unyielding efforts to ensure that science is inclusive and accessible. She brought immense energy, wisdom, and clarity to every conversation, and her presence enriched our department in countless ways. While she may be no more, her life’s work will continue to inspire generations of young scientists to come.”
At SNIoE, we were privileged to have her as part of our academic family. In remembering Prof. Godbole, we honour not just her exceptional accomplishments, but also her vision of a more equitable and enlightened world. Her work reminds us that science is not just about discovery; it is also about creating opportunities for everyone to thrive. We are committed to carrying forward her legacy by fostering the same spirit of excellence and inclusion that defined her remarkable journey.
The void left by her passing is profound, but her legacy shines brightly, lighting the way for future generations to dream boldly, question deeply, and contribute meaningfully to science and society.
This blog is written by Editage Digital Media Solutions, the research promotion division of Cactus Communications