Image Courtesy: Google Doodle
Marga Faulstich (16 June 1915 – 1 February 1998) was a German glass chemist. She worked for Schott AG for 44 years. During this time, she worked on more than 300 types of optical glasses. Forty patents were registered in her name. She was the first woman executive at Schott AG.
Life and Career
She was born on 16 June 1915 in Weimar, Thuringia, German Empire. After graduating from high school in 1935, she began training as a graduate assistant at Schott AG, one of the leading manufacturers of optical and technical specialty glasses in Europe. Her work in the field of glass chemistry led to dozens of patents that are still used in the manufacture of lightweight anti-reflective glasses.
In 1939, while working at the Schott AG company with Dr. Walter Geffcken, Faulstich developed a way to coat smaller glass objects by depositing hard vacuum vapor—changing gas directly to a solid without going through a liquid state. Her breakthrough made it possible for glass with an anti-reflective coating that shields X-rays and UV light, among other applications.
She died on 1 February 1998 in Mainz, Germany.
Award and Legacy
She was recognized in 1972 for her role in creating the SF 64 lens (known in North America as HIGH-LITE®), thinner, lighter-weight corrective lenses. Her life and work continue to inspire girls and boys alike to excel in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
On 16 June 2018, Google celebrated Marga Faulstich’s 103rd Birthday with a doodle.