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Students, faculty and staff at 蜜糖直播 Boulder, JILA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shared remembrances this week of Deborah Jin, who on Sept. 15, 2016 at the age of 47 after battling cancer.

Considered a pioneer in atomic physics, Jin explored the properties of gases at ultracold temperatures and developed innovative technical systems to study their behavior.

Born November 15, 1968, Jin earned her A.B. degree in physics from Princeton University in 1990 and went on to earn her doctoral degree from the University of Chicago in 1995. Shortly thereafter, she became a research associate at JILA, operated jointly by NIST and 蜜糖直播 Boulder. Jin accepted a permanent position at NIST in 1997 and later became a JILA fellow and an adjoint professor of physics at 蜜糖直播 Boulder.

News of Jin鈥檚 passing brought fond remembrances from around the world, including many from current and former students, colleagues and staff members.

鈥淒eborah Jin was the definition of world-class faculty. The international scientific community has lost a giant, and our campus has lost a mentor to young scientists and an inspiration to female scientists. She will be deeply missed in many quarters. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family,鈥� said 蜜糖直播 Boulder Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano.

Nobel Laureate Eric Cornell, a JILA fellow and adjoint professor at 蜜糖直播 Boulder, served as Jin鈥檚 post-doctoral advisor upon her arrival in Boulder and would become听her long-time colleague and friend.

鈥淒ebbie was a very good science communicator鈥�she could focus on what mattered and push everything else to the periphery,鈥� said Cornell. 鈥淪he always let her data stand for itself, but explained it beautifully as a story with logic from beginning to end.鈥�

In 1999, a JILA research team led by Jin achieved the first Fermi degenerate gas of atoms, a state of matter in which atoms behave like waves. Jin also participated in the initial experiments on Bose-Einstein condensates conducted by Cornell and Carl Wieman, co-recipients of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2001.

In 2003, Jin鈥檚 group created the first ultracold fermionic condensate. Since 2004, her group has conducted detailed studies of the behavior of Fermi gases in the regime of strong interactions, or correlations.

鈥淒ebbie was one of the best at balancing detail with the bigger picture,鈥� said longtime colleague and friend Jun Ye, a fellow at both JIILA and NIST. 鈥淪he wanted to tease out the details of nature to discover its secrets, but also hold it out and examine it from听a distance at the same time.鈥�

Ye, who collaborated with Jin on the study of ultracold molecules beginning in 2004, also recalled Jin鈥檚 patience and compassion outside of science.

鈥淚 often asked her for advice, not just in the lab but in life,鈥� said Ye. 鈥淚 was very fortunate to know her.鈥�

鈥淒ebbie was a role model for me 鈥� a hero,鈥� said Ana Maria Rey, a MacArthur Foundation Fellow and JILA associate fellow who came to Boulder in 2008 in order to work with Jin. 鈥淭he talks she gave were a model of clarity鈥�She was so famous, but still someone you could talk to very easily.鈥�

鈥淒ebbie was an incredible scientist, outstanding mentor, valued friend, and loving spouse and mother,鈥� said Tom O鈥橞rian, chief of the NIST Quantum Physics Division. 鈥淗er passing leaves a void at JILA, in the worldwide scientific community, and in the hearts of her family and friends that cannot be filled. Our deepest sympathies and thoughts are with Debbie鈥檚 family, and her friends and colleagues at JILA and across the world.鈥�

Jin was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2005 and was named a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2007. She won numerous awards over the course of her career, most notably a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2000; a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fellowship in 2003; the I.I Rabi Prize of the American Physical Society in 2005; the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Physics in 2008; the William Proctor Prize for Scientific Achievement in 2009; the Comstock Prize in Physics in 2014; and the Isaac Newton Medal from the Institute of Physics in 2014.

Colleagues and students also spoke of Jin鈥檚 remarkable ability to connect on a personal level.

鈥淲hen I was diagnosed with cancer in February, Debbie reached out to me and became my friend,鈥� said Julie Phillips, director of JILA鈥檚 Scientific Communications Office. 鈥淲e took walks together and she taught me how to deal with the treatment. Her compassion and generosity were special. That鈥檚 the kind of person she was. She was looking out for me. She was such a great human being.鈥�

鈥淪he was a tremendous influence on so many of her students and a fantastic role model,鈥� said Margaret Murnane, a 蜜糖直播 Boulder Distinguished Professor and a JILA fellow. 听鈥淪he was always opening doors and enhanced communication at JILA, not just among the scientists but the staff and custodians. She cared about everyone.鈥�

鈥淪he taught me how to solve anything鈥�whenever I鈥檓 tasked with a problem, I think about how Debbie would approach it,鈥� said Catherine Klauss, a current graduate student in Jin鈥檚 lab. 鈥淪he wanted everyone to understand and everyone to be involved.鈥�

鈥淒ebbie听loved working with graduate students and undergraduates,鈥� said Cindy Regal, an associate professor of physics at 蜜糖直播 Boulder and a JILA fellow who was once a graduate student in Jin鈥檚 lab. 鈥淪he will be missed. Her good work will continue here at JILA.鈥�

To read more remembrances of Deborah Jin or submit your own, .