Isabelle suddenly passed away in her sleep, leaving a big hole in both science and the hearts of many friends, colleagues and collaborators. A passionate and motivated person who devoted her life to science, she joined the Large Scale Structures Group at the ILL in August 1998. She became co-responsible for D22 for 5 years, then responsible for the ILL chemistry labs for 12 years while continuing to be active scientifically and to serve as the local contact for the SANS instruments. Finally, she returned as instrument responsible for D33 in 2012.
What she enjoyed most at the ILL were the duties of local contact, which involved a great deal of interaction with users, helping to run experiments, analyzing data, and interpreting results. She was always kind and available, as remembered by Dan Kirshner, “I remember Isabelle as the kindest, sweetest, most generous person. She was always so willing to help us with whatever we were trying to do at the ILL. To me she had the appearance of a classical ballerina, I always imagined her (whether true or not) as a dancer who decided rather to become an outstanding scientist.” According to Peter Dowding, “Isabelle was a first-rate scientist, a larger-than-life character and a real friend. In 16 years of coming to ILL, beamline scientists become collaborators and eventually friends. I will always be indebted to her for the help with (often crazy) experiments.”
Isabelle dedicated her scientific life to the art of mixing surfactants, nanoparticles, polymers and emulsion droplets, as seen through small-angle scattering. As Peter Timmins remembers her, “she was a real ILL scientist, devoting her time to users but also producing important science of her own—all with the greatest discretion.” She showed that small-angle scattering is the most elegant method to get to the heart of colloidal interactions, from fundamental approaches in model systems to practical industrial questions on everyday products. Always modest, and reluctant to talk in public, her scientific production was impressive with nearly half of her more than two hundred papers tackling the mixing potential of two poorly compatible colloids, including ionic liquids, micelles, clay particles and polyelectrolytes.
Her most prolific collaborator, Julian Eastoe, remembers her, “Isabelle was my scientific soul mate: we shared common views on the importance of science, how science should be conducted and communicated and how scientists should behave. In our joint research work we shared many moments of excitement, joy and also frustration. Isabelle was an inspiration to me, and she was the perfect role model for younger scientists.”
In her spare time, she was a keen painter and a passionate reader. She had a deep knowledge of Greek philosophers and French literature in general. The simple facets of nature delighted her; she enjoyed walking in the mountains around Grenoble and loved the color violet, as can be seen all around the instrument and cabin of D33.
A Symposium is being organized to honor her scientific career. It will be held March 11–13, 2020 at the ILL.
Isabelle is already greatly missed by her colleagues at work and her many collaborators.
She is survived by her mother, Nicole.
ILL, Grenoble, France Giovanna Fragneto and Bruno Demé
ILL, Grenoble, France