IN MEMORIAM
Prof. Ugur Tuzun
†18.12.2021
It is with great sadness that we learn of the passing of Ugur Tuzun. Ugur passed away on Saturday, December 18th. He had been a very valued member of our community and will be missed as irreplaceable colleague and a very dear friend. Please keep Ugur’s family and particularly his kind wife Melek in your thoughts as they go through this difficult time.
Born in 1956 in Turkey, Ugur made rapidly his way to the Anglophone world via firstly the United States as a Fulbright scholar, then to U.K., where he graduated in Chemical Engineering and Management in 1976 from Leeds University. He then began his scientific career as a Wolfson Foundation Scholar at Churchill College in Cambridge, where he obtained his PhD in Chemical engineering in 1979 with professor Nedderman. He continued as a EPSRC Post-doctoral Research Fellow at Shell Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cambridge.
Ugur has led research activities in the area of Multiphase and Particulate Flow Mechanics since 1995 with his chair in Process Engineering at the University of Surrey, UK. The research outputs relate primarily to mathematical and physical modelling and non-invasive micro structural imaging of multi-phase process flows, granular and powder flows, compaction and shearing of micro- and nano-particulate assemblies in gas and liquid-borne systems. Later research interests included colloidal suspension flows, multi-phase flows in complex geometries, nano-particle laden smart fluids, compaction of wet nano-composites, and nano-fluidisation. Ugur has acted as principal superviser and co-supervisor for over 30 PhD's and several post-doctoral workers in chemical and process engineering and his research has received in excess of f: 5.0M in grants from research councils and industry. He has served as the technical director of the QPM (Quality in Particulate Manufacturing) Consortium during involving several academic and industrial partners, under the lnnovative Manufacturing Initiative of EPSRC. The project has received "internationally leading" rating from the research councils peer review process.
Ugur was the Surrey academic champion for the Royal Academy of Engineering (UK) funded VP scheme in Systems lntegration Design. Several new taught modules and industrial case studies have been developed and successfully incorporated in undergraduate and Masters level programmes in Engineering.
During the pre-professorial period the award of the EPSRC New Blood Lectureship and the ESSO Centenary Teaching Award through the RAEng Scheme has allowed the development of short courses in Particle Technology and Particulate Food Processing for industrialists and practitioners as well as master level students, and development of new undergraduate modules in Fluids and Particles, Complex Fluids and Non Newtonian Technology, and Computational Methods for Engineers. Some of the course materials developed at Surrey was also taught at Melbourne University, Australia in the early nineties.
Ugur has acted as external examiner to undergraduate programmes in Mechanical Engineering at Brunel University and Masters Level Programmes in Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the University of Nottingham, UK and the Nottingham University Malaysia Campus. Since his retirement in 2011 from his Professorship at the University of Surrey, Ugur was active as an Alumnus Professor and Senior Advisor at Cambridge University. He continued his work Engineering work as a Consultant for Cambridge, ICHEME, EFCE and AICHE. In 2012, he joined our place at Compiègne University of Technology as visiting professor.
Ugur was a true connoisseur of fine arts and a bon vivant. Further to his relentless, irreplaceable contributions to our scientific community, we are losing a reliable supporter of young scientists and a good friend.
Rest in Peace.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jörg Schwedes
*26. 02. 1938 †21. 08 2018
- advanced the science and technology of solids handling,
- served industry and academia with outstanding scientific contributions,
- was the global expert in bulk solids flow property testing and silo design,
- facilitated cooperation between structural and process engineers in silo design,
- was a consultant with high reputation,
- promoted international collaboration and student exchange programs
- was our inspiring mentor
- was a great personality
Jörg Schwedes has left us - much too early.
We have lost a lighthouse. We are indebted to him and thankful forever.
Prof. Jürgen Tomas
We mourn Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Tomas, who left us on November 24, 2015 at the age of 62. We have lost an outstanding researcher, university teacher, and for many of us also a friend. Our sympathy goes to his wife and family.
He was born in 1953 in Zerbst, Germany. Prof. Tomas studied process engineering (process systems engineering) at the Institute of Technology (TH) Merseburg (1971-1975). From 1975 until 1992 he was research assistant at the Department of Mechanical Process Engineering and Mineral Processing of the Institute of Mining Technology (Bergakademie) Freiberg, where in 1982 he earned his PhD . Until 1987 he was also a consultant for designing silo plants in process industries, as well as teaching as Assistant Professor at Addis Abeba University (Ethiopia) until 1989. In 1991, he earned his habilitation and in 1994 he received a full professorship as Chair of Mechanical Process Engineering at the Faculty of Process and Systems Engineering, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Germany. From 1995-1996 and 2001-2002, he was also Head of the Department of Process Engineering. In 2006 he became full member of the Saxon Academy of Science of Leipzig, and from 2006 to 2012 he was the Dean of the Faculty of Process and Systems Engineering of the University Magdeburg. Since 2009, he was coordinator of the Priority Programme 1486 "Particles in Contact - Micromechanics Microprocess Dynamics and Particle Collectives" of the German Research Foundation (DFG). In 2012, he was Deputy Secretary of the Class of Engineering Sciences of the Saxon Academy of Science, and in the same year he became a member of editorial board for Journal of Powder Technology.
Throughout his 37-year academic career, he published more than 250 peer-reviewed papers and presented 380 oral papers at conferences - over 230 of which at international conferences. Since 2005, he has chaired the Working Party "Agglomeration and bulk solids technology" of the German society for process and chemical engineering - ProcessNet (Fachausschuss "Agglomerations und Schüttguttechnik" GVC/VDI). He has been full member of the Saxon Academy of Science of Leipzig, KDT, VDI-GVC, DECHEMA, the Working Group "Comminution and classification", the Working Group "Mechanical solid-liquid separation", and the Working Party on the Mechanics of Particulate Solids of European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE), where he started to collaborate very early, in 1979. He was also supervisor of more than 20 PhD students and numerous master and bachelor students.
The international scientific community loses an excellent scientist and expert in the field of bulk solids mechanics and nanoparticle technology. We will always think of him with honour.
Prof. Antonio Castellanos Mata
Prof. Antonio Castellanos Mata passed away last January, leaving a gap in the Spanish and worldwide physics community. His contribution characterised by enthusiasm, intelligence, determination and commitment made him an important figure on international level; profound sorrow at his death was felt around the world. Our sympathy goes to his wife and family.
After graduating in Physics from the University of Valladolid in 1969 he started his PhD at that university finishing in 1972. He passed through all stages of the academic career ladder to become full professor. He worked in several well-recognized universities such as the University of Valladolid, Ohio State University, University of the Basque Country, or Autonomous University of Madrid. Finally, he got established in the University of Seville, where he worked as full professor since 1983.
His main research interests were electrohydrodynamics, electrokinetics, electrical gas discharges and granular cohesive media. In 1983 he founded the Research Group in Electrohydrodynamics of the University of Seville, and from 1989 until 2001 he was the head of the Department of Electronics and Electromagnetism of the University of Seville. In recognition of his research career, the University of Seville awarded him the 2013 FAMA Award in the area of Science.
He contributed with his knowledge participating in national and international committees such as the Board of the Liquid Section of the EPS (European Physical Society), the Microgravity Advisory Committee of the ESA (European Spatial Agency) or the Executive Committee of Electrohydrodynamics of the Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation society of the IEEE (International Electrical and Electronics Engineering Society).
During a distinguished and prolific academic career, he published almost 300 scientific papers, books and chapters of books, including some 150 papers in refereed journals. He was co-author in many patents and supervisor of a long list of PhD students, many of whom now are professors at the university and continue his work, always remembering his teaching and profound contribution of intelligence and commitment.
We will always appreciate his generosity, his collegial trust, his humor and sensitive humanity.
back to previous page