An expert on environmental radiation measurements, she was the first woman and first health physicist to become a commissioner at the US government's Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
[4][5] Born in New Jersey and raised in Maryland,[1] Planque earned her bachelor's degree from Immaculata College (mathematics, 1967), master's degree from the Newark College of Engineering (physics, 1973), and PhD from New York University (environmental health science, 1983).
In 1997, Planque chaired a planning committee, Celebration of Women in Engineering, which developed conferences that encouraged women to choose careers in engineering and included the development of the website EngineerGirl.
[5] A fellow of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Planque was also a member of the National Academy of Engineering,[8] the Association of Women in Science, and the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements.
[5] Planque served as president of the ANS from 1988 to 1989[1] the Health Physics Society, as well as Strategy Matters, Inc.[citation needed] She was Co-Chair of Committee for International Intercomparison of Environmental Dosimeters[citation needed] and director for Energy Strategists Consultancy, Ltd.[citation needed] She also served on the boards of Northeast Utilities Corporation, British Nuclear Fuels, EnergySolutions, Inc., Landauer, Inc., TXU Corporation, and BHP Billiton.