Three years after her death, Former Professor of Chemistry Karen Wetterhahn was remembered yesterday with the unveiling of her portrait in Collis Commonground.
The painting, by Boston artist Tom Ouelette, was presented to over 100 family members, friends and colleagues who attended the memorial service yesterday afternoon.
President of the College James Wright described the painting as "a lasting reminder of Karen's contributions to Dartmouth and a lasting reminder of her legacy."
Chair of the Chemistry department John Winn, Associate Dean of the Sciences Mary Lou Guerinot as well as Wetterhahn's sister, Charlotte Archabald, also spoke at the service.
Wetterhahn died in 1997 as a result of dimethyl mercury poisoning after a few drops of the toxic chemical leaked through latex gloves and entered her bloodstream.
After several weeks of worsening symptoms including slurred speech, difficulty with balance and problems seeing and hearing, Wetterhahn was diagnosed with mercury poisoning and was checked into Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center for treatment.
As time went on over the first months of the year her condition worsened. In February, 1997 The Dartmouth reported that Wetterhahn was unable to see, hear, walk or talk.
Wetterhahn languished in a coma until her death in mid-June.
Those who spoke remembered Wetterhahn's love of teaching and her commitment to women in academia.
Her sister recalled the time they spent together as teenagers and reminisced about weekends spent at Lake Champlain when they were adults.
Everyone spoke of Wetterhahn's passion for research in the field of chemistry and her success in receiving grants. Wetterhahn was awarded a $7 million grant in 1995 by the Environmental Protection Agency, at that time the largest grant in the College's history.
Wetterhahn was the first female chemistry at the College and was also awarded the Albert Bradley Third Century Professor in the Sciences at Dartmouth.
Following her death the Karen E. Wetterhahn Graduate Fellowship was established to be awarded annually to a graduate student in the field of chemistry. The fellowship is awarded to a female student when possible. A faculty award was also established.
