Paris Pişmiş

Paris Pişmiş, born Mari Sukiasian in Ortaköy, Istanbul, on January 30, 1911, was a pioneering Turkish-Mexican astronomer and university teacher. She completed her high school education at Üsküdar American Academy and made history in 1937 by becoming the first woman to earn a Ph.D. from the Science Faculty of Istanbul University, under the guidance of Erwin Finlay Freundlich.

Her journey took her to Harvard University, where she met her future husband, Félix Recillas, a Mexican mathematician. The couple settled in Mexico, where Pişmiş became the first professional astronomer in the country. Her contributions were instrumental in establishing Mexico's significance in astronomical education and research, as noted by her colleague Dorrit Hoffleit.

For over fifty years, Pişmiş dedicated her career to the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), receiving numerous accolades, including the prestigious Science Teaching Prize. She was an esteemed member of the Mexican Academy of Sciences and conducted extensive research on the kinematics of galaxies, H II nebulae, and the structure of open star clusters and planetary nebulae. Notably, she compiled the Pismis catalogue, which includes twenty-four open clusters and two globular clusters in the southern hemisphere.

In 1998, she published her autobiography, "Reminiscences in the Life of Paris Pişmiş: a Woman Astronomer," reflecting on her remarkable journey. Pişmiş passed away in 1999, and in accordance with her wishes, she was cremated. Her legacy continues through her family, as her daughter Elsa Recillas Pishmish, son-in-law Carlos Cruz-González, and granddaughter Irene Cruz-González also pursued careers in astronomy.