Katherine Mary Schoeffler, a May 2004 doctoral candidate in the Pratt School of Engineering, died Tuesday at Duke University Medical Center from a tear in her ascending aorta. She was 44.
Schoeffler, known as Kathy to her friends, complained of chest pains Sunday and was taken to DUMC, but after a brief hospital stay, was discharged the next day. She collapsed early Tuesday and was not able to be resuscitated at the hospital.
Schoeffler was completing a five-year program in biomedical engineering and informatics. Schoeffler held the Judith Redman Gustafson and L. Adelaide and M. Elizabeth Johnson Endowments and was the first woman to pursue a doctorate in her specialization from Pratt. She earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Catholic University and worked for Burroughs Wellcome pharmaceutical company for eight years prior to attending graduate school.
Many remembered Schoeffler as an outgoing, warm woman, who was dedicated to her research and work.
"When I think of Kathy, I think of someone with a lot of energy, a smile on her face and with tremendous enthusiasm," said Ed Hammond, professor emeritus of biomedical engineering and Schoeffler's advisor.
"She was a person that had great talent."
Schoeffler was working on a program to standardize medical descriptions for medical and clinical analysis. She earned the $65,000 National Library of Medicine Fellowship in Applied Informatics in 1997 as well as grants from the American Association of University Women and Duke.
"She was pushing to succeed in the field," said Winafred Schoeffler, Kathy's mother. "She had a job waiting for her at the National Institutes of Health until she completed her doctorate."
Schoeffler was also known for her friendships with children, especially her niece and nephew. "She loved young children and counted a number of [younger] friends," Winafred Schoeffler said.
Schoeffler also enjoyed sharing her work with others. Through her award from and membership in AAUW, Schoeffler had the opportunity to speak on her intellectual pursuits around the state. She gave lectures at Duke, including a Humanities in Science keynote lecture on artificial intelligence and medicine, as well as teaching engineering classes with her mentor.
"She just gave so much of herself," said Judy Stafford, a senior analyst programmer at the Duke Clinical Research Institute and a close friend of Schoeffler. "She was very generous with sharing her work and ideas with other people, being collaborative. Sometimes in academia, people can be so guarded, but not Kathy."
Aside from her research, many recalled Schoeffler's favorite activity--dancing. She enjoyed Scottish country dancing best, but was involved with several dancing troupes in a variety of styles. From dancing to collaborating on her work, many friends and family recall Schoeffler's kind and selfless spirit as a a hallmark of her personality. "She didn't think twice before helping people," Stafford said. "She was just amazingly generous."
A funeral will take place at St. Phillip's Episcopal Church, at 403 E. Main St., in Durham, Feb. 7, with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to the church at Post Office Box 218, Durham, N.C, 27702.
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