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Corcoran graduated in 1972 from UD with a Bachelor of Science with honors; she then went on to receive her Ph.D. from Indiana University. Her career led her to work in the particle physics community with a focus in CP violation.
Her obituary included this line as a teaching moment, “She would want everyone to know that conservation of momentum works, and when a train and bicycle collide, the train always wins.”
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Rice physicist Marjorie Corcoran killed in a train/bike accident on Friday. Big loss for #womeninSTEM, @APSphysics https://t.co/s1F30ZovGv
— Timothy McKay (@TimMcKayUM) February 5, 2017
Saddened to hear of the passing of @RiceUniversity physicist, prof. Marjorie Corcoran. Loss in the physics community https://t.co/iv8UV5TV0b
— APSDiversity (@APSDiversity) February 4, 2017
During her life, Corcoran was a role model to young women physicists, so much so that just last month she co-organized a conference for undergraduate women in physics sponsored by the American Physical Society. She made it a point to teach undergraduate classes so she could influence their career choices.
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She also worked with high school physics teachers during summers to show them exciting elements of physics to take back to the classroom and engage their students, according to her obituary. Corcoran believed that all children are born scientists, but by making math a science lesson plans less than exciting, educators fail in nurturing their natural talent.
Corcoran was a faculty member for 35 years at Rice University in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. During her employment she held many roles such as, the first Speaker of the Rice Faculty Senate and chair of the Physics and Astronomy Department.
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