ROCHESTER HILLS ? ECD Ovonics Co Founder Iris Ovshinsky died August 16 at her home in Bloomfield Hills. She was 79.
Iris and Stan Ovshinsky, her husband and fellow scientist,
founded ECD Ovonics in 1960 to research and use new science and technology
to solve serious societal problems. Since the company’s founding, Iris played a leading role with Stan in all areas based on his inventions in amorphous and disordered materials.
“We are greatly saddened by Iris’ death. She was a woman of great
vision and an amazing human being,” said Robert C. Stempel, Chairman and
CEO of ECD Ovonics. “She built a corporate culture which helped us grow as
a company. All of us in the ECD Ovonics community will greatly miss her and
join me in extending our deepest condolences to Stan and her family.”
Iris graduated with a B.A. in Zoology from Swarthmore College, received
an M.S. in Biology from the University of Michigan, and a Ph.D. in
Biochemistry from Boston University. She is a member of Sigma Xi, an
associate member of Michigan Center for Theoretical Physics of The
University of Michigan, and a member of the Editorial Board.
In 2000, Iris was named “Hero of Chemistry” by the American Chemical society along with Stan as “chemical innovators whose industrial work in chemistry or chemical engineering has made significant and lasting contributions to global human welfare.” In 2003, Iris was inducted into the “Academy of Distinguished
Alumni” of her alma mater, Boston University. Recently, she and Stan were
profiled in the documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car?”
Iris is survived by her husband, Stan Ovshinsky; their five
children, Robin and Steven Dibner, Harvey, Dale and Ben Ovshinsky; and four
grandchildren, Natasha and Noah Ovshinsky, Sylvie Polsky and Pablo Dibner.
