Congratulations to Max Ruth, who was selected as the inaugural Igor and Elfriede Gamow scholar. Max is an honors student in physics, and is conducting optics research with Associate Professor Thomas Schibli.
The Gamows’ gift supports undergraduate students majoring in physics, engineering physics, or astrophysics. Rustem Igor Gamow is the son of George Gamow, Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØProfessor of Physics from 1956-1968. Igor earned his Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Colorado in 1966. He served on the faculty of the Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØDepartments of Aerospace Engineering and Chemical and Biological Engineering from 1967-2004. He is the inventor of the Gamow Bag©, which has saved the lives of dozens of mountain climbers suffering from high altitude pulmonary and cerebral edema.
Elfriede Reger Gamow grew up in communist East Germany. She defected to the west in 1957 while in high school, and was awarded a scholarship to attend Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØas an exchange student in 1960. She earned bachelors and masters degrees, and in 1968 was the first person to earn a Ph.D. in molecular, cellular and developmental biology from the University of Colorado. She has owned and operated Elfriede’s Fine Fabrics in Boulder since 1974.Ìý