Erdoğan Şuhubi

Erdoğan S. Şuhubi (4 October 1934 – 21 May 2024) was a Turkish mathematician, engineer, and academic, known for his contributions to applied mechanics, mathematics, and nuclear energy research. He served as a professor at Istanbul Technical University (ITU) and head of the Applied Mathematics Department at the TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center. He was a member of the International Society for the Interaction of Mechanics and Mathematics and the Academia Europaea between 1980 and 1991. He was a founding member of the Turkish Academy of Sciences.

Erdoğan Şuhubi
Born	Erdoğan Süleyman Şuhubi (1934-04-10)April 10, 1934 Istanbul, Turkey
Died	21 May 2024(2024-05-21) (aged 89)
Occupations	Mathematician engineer academic
Known for	Contributions to applied mechanics, mathematics, nuclear energy research
Title	Professor
Awards	TÜBİTAK Science Award
Academic background
Education	PhD in Applied Mechanics
Alma mater	Istanbul Technical University
Academic work
Era	Modern
Discipline	Mathematician Engineer
Sub-discipline	Applied mechanics nuclear energy
Institutions	Istanbul Technical University
Main interests	Applied mechanics mathematics nuclear energy research

Early life and education

Şuhubi was born to İbrahim and Samiye Şuhubi on 4 October 1934 in Istanbul, Turkey. When he fell seriously ill when he contracted severe pneumonia at the age of four, the family moved to Fenerbahçe following the doctor's recommendation for a change of climate to aid his recovery.

The Şuhubi family lived in Fenerbahçe from 1939 to 1954. When he reached school age, his parents intended to enroll him in a well-regarded school in Kızıltoprak, a choice popular among rich families. However, due to age restrictions, he was not eligible for admission. As an alternative, he was enrolled in Kırk Dokuzuncu İlkokul (49th Primary School), located near the train tracks.

Şuhubi also attended Kadıköy First Primary School for his early education. His interest in reading developed over time, and by 1953, he had started reading the Children's Encyclopedia, which expanded his knowledge. During his high school years, his interest in encyclopedias grew further, leading him to collect a several types of reference books. His reading included works by authors such as Jules Verne, contributing to his growing curiosity and intellectual pursuits.

He was a middle school student when he encountered challenges in certain subjects such as physical education and music. Despite his knowledge of musical theory, his diffidence inhibited him from participating fully in class activities. He later reflected on his reserved nature, noting that it persisted throughout his life and may have been influenced by his upbringing in Fenerbahçe, where he led a relatively isolated life.

After completing middle school, he sought to enroll at Saint Joseph, a school recommended by his father due to its emphasis on French as a foreign language. However, since Saint Joseph did not admit students beyond middle school, he initially considered attending Saint Benoit. After attending summer courses there, he decided against it, finding the idea of spending two years in preparatory classes unappealing. Instead, he opted to attend Haydarpaşa High School.

At Haydarpaşa, he developed an interest in biology, a subject that would shape his future intentions. He spent much of his free time in the school library, where he decided to pursue a career in medicine. His father's struggle with asthma also played a role in his decision, as Şuhubi was motivated by a inclination to aid others with similar conditions.

During his education, Şuhubi's academic attainment extended to his university years. He attended Istanbul Technical University (ITU), where he and his classmate, Gökçe Aykut, excelled in their studies. Aykut later gained recognition for his work on the construction of the Atatürk Dam, while Şuhubi graduated third in his class. Despite his overall progress, he failed a timber construction course, an outcome he believed to be unfair. He attributed this to a conflict with the course instructor, Abdullah Türkmen, which resulted in a strained relationship.

In July 1956, he graduated from the Faculty of Civil Engineering at Istanbul Technical University (ITU), where he achieved substantial academic standing. However, he then chose not to follow a conventional engineering career path. Instead, he followed the advice of family members and decided to pursue an academic career. Initially, he applied to the Structural Engineering Department, but at the request of a friend, he switched to the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Strength of Materials.

He completed his PhD in applied mechanics in 1959, and in 1962, he earned a master's degree from the ITU Nuclear Energy Institute.

Career

Şuhubi's research and teaching began in 1956 when he was appointed as an assistant professor in the Department of Technical Mechanics and General Strength of Materials at ITU's Faculty of Civil Engineering.

In 1962, Şuhubi conducted postdoctoral research at Purdue University in the United States. He became an associate professor in theoretical and applied mechanics in 1964 and later served as a visiting professor at Princeton University from 1968 to 1970. He was appointed professor at ITU in 1970 and became one of the three founding members of the ITU Mathematical Engineering Program.

From 1982 to 1999, he served as the head of the Department of Engineering Sciences at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at ITU. During this period, he also conducted research at the Italian National Research Council and gave seminars at numerous universities, including Princeton, Oxford, Alberta, Calgary, Genova, Messina, Newcastle, and the University of Bologna.

Şuhubi worked at several positions at the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK). He was the head of the Applied Mathematics Department of TÜBİTAK's Marmara Research Center from 1968 to 1983, and later served as the director of the Fundamental Sciences Research Institute and the Gebze Research Center.

He also served as a Killam visiting scholar in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Calgary, Canada, from January to May 1987. In September 1982, he was a visiting professor at the University of Genova's Department of Mathematics.

Şuhubi held several visiting professor roles, including at the Department of Mathematics at the University of Napoli in Italy on multiple occasions, including in 1983, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1991, and 1993. In 1991, he was elected as the second Turkish member of the Academia Europaea, and in 1993, he became a founding member of the Turkish Academy of Sciences.

In November 2001, Şuhubi became professor of mathematics at Yeditepe University in the Department of Mathematics. Prior to this, he served as a professor of mechanics at Istanbul Technical University (ITU) from 1971 until his retirement on October 4, 2001. During this period, the faculty was known as the Faculty of Fundamental Science until 1982, when it was renamed the Faculty of Science and Letters.

As part of his editorial role, he served as the editor-in-chief of Ý.T.Ü. Bülteni (published by Springer-Verlag as ARIÑ since 1997, a subsidiary of the German Springer Publishing Company) from 1981 to 1984, and again from 1994 to 1999. Additionally, he was an associate editor of the International Journal of Engineering Science from 1978 to 2007.

Awards and recognition

In 2007, Şuhubi was awarded an honorary doctorate by Gebze Technical University in recognition of his contributions and the Distinguished Service Award by Middle East Technical University (METU) in 2013. He also served on the editorial boards of several academic journals and was engaged in the NATO's Collaborative Research Grants Program between 1983 and 1987. In 1976, he became the recipient of the TÜBİTAK Science Award for his contributions to applied mechanics and engineering.