MARIA STUCHLY

MARIA (Rzepecka) STUCHLY Maria (Rzepecka) Stuchly passed away peacefully in Vancouver on August 15, 2022. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Stanislaw Stuchly (2003). Maria was born in Warsaw, Poland on April 8, 1939. When Maria was in her early teens, she discovered her passion for physics, which led to her application to the Warsaw University of Technology (WUT) to study electronics. Maria received the M.Sc. degree in electrical engineering from WUT in 1962 and the Ph.D. degree from the Institute of Physics at the Polish Academy of Sciences in 1970. Maria met Stan while they both worked at the same research institute. Stan moved to the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg in 1969. Maria joined him after finishing her Ph.D. in 1970, and began a postdoctoral research fellowship at the same university. They were married in 1972. Maria and Stan relocated to Ottawa in 1976. Stan joined the University of Ottawa, while Maria became a research scientist with the Bureau of Radiation and Medical Devices, Health and Welfare Canada (1976 to 1991). She advised the government on human exposure to electromagnetic (EM) fields, developing Canadian standards and contributing to numerous international advisory committees. Maria also maintained a high impact research program; her work is still regularly referred to by researchers today. In 1987, she served as President of the Bioelectromagnetics Society, an international organization of researchers exploring the interaction of EM fields with living systems. In 1990, she was the Founding Director of the Institute of Medical Engineering at the University of Ottawa. This unique research initiative benefitted from her skillful leadership in building bridges between medicine and engineering. Maria became an IEEE Fellow in 1991, the highest honour from the top technical organization in her field. While in Ottawa, Maria and Stan became avid runners, cyclists and skiers. Together they travelled the world and followed their shared passion for outdoor adventure, building friendships to last a lifetime along the way. In 1992, Maria and Stan relocated to Victoria, BC, both joining the University of Victoria. In January 1994, Maria became a Professor and Industrial Research Chair. In 1996, Maria was elected Vice President of the International Union of Radio Science (URSI), an organization that links researchers around the world working in all aspects of radio science. She was the first woman elected to this leadership role, only one of many positions that Maria held in which she was a pioneer and role model. Maria's many students and colleagues remember her exacting standards for excellence, as well as her dedication to her profession, her amazing fashion sense and her enjoyment of conferences. In 2005, Maria retired and moved to Vancouver, starting a new chapter in her life. She traveled the globe with her friends, enjoying kayaking trips in Thailand, safaris, trekking in Nepal, and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. She was a regular on the slopes at Whistler, and loved to kayak and paddleboard. She joined the University Women's Club Hiking group at UBC, and found a community of cherished friends. After losing Stan in 2003 to early-onset Parkinson's disease, Maria became a special member of four families. Her adopted families, her hiking sisterhood and circle of friends will remember Maria for her indomitable spirit, energy, exuberance, emotional and physical strength, sense of adventure, fearlessness, stubbornness, warmth and generosity, and her sense of humour. If desired, donations in Maria's memory may be made to the Pacific Parkinson's Research Institute (https://www.pacificparkinsons.org/donate).