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Erdoğan S. Şuhubi (4 October 193421 May 2024) was a Turkish mathematician, engineer, and academic, known for his contributions to applied mechanics, mathematics, and
nuclear energy Nuclear energy may refer to: *Nuclear power, the use of sustained nuclear fission or nuclear fusion to generate heat and electricity *Nuclear binding energy, the energy needed to fuse or split a nucleus of an atom *Nuclear potential energy, the pot ...
research. He served as a professor at
Istanbul Technical University Istanbul Technical University, also known as Technical University of Istanbul (, commonly referred to as İTÜ), is an public university, public technical university located in Istanbul, Turkey. It is the world's third-oldest technical university ...
(ITU) and head of the Applied Mathematics Department at the
TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center The TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center (), shortly TÜBİTAK MAM, is a Turkish scientific and technological center carrying out research projects through its subordinate institutes on basic and applied science fields in the area of industrial needs ...
. He was a member of the International Society for the Interaction of Mechanics and Mathematics and the
Academia Europaea The Academia Europaea is a pan-European Academy of humanities, letters, law, and sciences. The Academia was founded in 1988 as a functioning Europe-wide Academy that encompasses all fields of scholarly inquiry. It acts as co-ordinator of Europe ...
between 1980 and 1991. He was a founding member of the
Turkish Academy of Sciences The Turkish Academy of Sciences ( – TÜBA) is an autonomous scholarly association aimed at promoting scientific activities in Turkey. Although it is attached to the office of the Presidency and is largely funded by the government, it maintains f ...
.


Early life and education

Şuhubi was born to İbrahim and Samiye Şuhubi on 4 October 1934 in
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
, Turkey. When he fell seriously ill when he contracted severe
pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...
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 A child () is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking countries, the legal definition of ''child ...
, which expanded his knowledge. During his high school years, his interest in
encyclopedia An encyclopedia is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge, either general or special, in a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divided into article (publishing), articles or entries that are arranged Alp ...
s grew further, leading him to collect several types of
reference book A reference work is a document, such as a Academic publishing#Scholarly paper, paper, book or periodical literature, periodical (or their electronic publishing, electronic equivalents), to which one can refer for information. The information ...
s. His reading included works by authors such as
Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...
, contributing to his growing curiosity and intellectual pursuits. He was a
middle school Middle school, also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school, is an educational stage between primary school and secondary school. Afghanistan In Afghanistan, middle school includes g ...
student when he encountered challenges in certain subjects such as
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and music. Despite his knowledge of
musical theory Music theory is the study of theoretical frameworks for understanding the practices and possibilities of music. '' The Oxford Companion to Music'' describes three interrelated uses of the term "music theory": The first is the "rudiments", that a ...
, 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 According to the canonical Gospels, Joseph (; ) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. Joseph is venerated as Saint Joseph in the Catholic Church, Eastern O ...
, a school recommended by his father due to its emphasis on
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as a
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. 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 Haydarpaşa High School () is an Anatolian High School, Anatolian high school in Üsküdar district of Istanbul, Turkey established in 1934. History Founded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk on September 26, 1934, the school initially operated as a boys' ...
. At
Haydarpaşa Haydarpaşa is a locality within the Kadıköy and Üsküdar districts on the Asian part of Istanbul, Turkey. Haydarpaşa is named after Ottoman Vizier Haydar Pasha. The place, on the coast of Sea of Marmara, borders to Harem in the northwest and ...
, he developed an interest in
biology Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms. It is a broad natural science that encompasses a wide range of fields and unifying principles that explain the structure, function, growth, History of life, origin, evolution, and ...
, a subject that would shape his future intentions. He spent much of his free time in the
school library A school library (or a school media center) is a library within a school where students, and sometimes their parents and staff have access to borrow a variety of resources, often literary or digital. The goal of a school library or media cente ...
, where he decided to pursue a career in
medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...
. His father's struggle with
asthma Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wh ...
also played a role in his decision, as Şuhubi was motivated by an inclination to aid others with similar conditions. During his education, Şuhubi's academic attainment extended to his university years. He attended
Istanbul Technical University Istanbul Technical University, also known as Technical University of Istanbul (, commonly referred to as İTÜ), is an public university, public technical university located in Istanbul, Turkey. It is the world's third-oldest 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 The Atatürk Dam (), originally the Karababa Dam, is the third largest dam in the world and it is a zoned rock-fill dam with a central core on the Euphrates River on the border of Adıyaman Province and Şanlıurfa Province in the Southeastern ...
, while Şuhubi graduated third in his class. Despite his overall progress, he failed a
timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...
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 Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
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 A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...
from the ITU Nuclear Energy Institute.


Career

Şuhubi's research and teaching began in 1956 when he was appointed an
assistant professor Assistant professor is an academic rank just below the rank of an associate professor used in universities or colleges, mainly in the United States, Canada, Japan, and South Korea. Overview This position is generally taken after earning a doct ...
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 Purdue University is a Public university#United States, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded ...
in the United States. He became an associate professor in
theoretical A theory is a systematic and rational form of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the conclusions derived from such thinking. It involves contemplative and logical reasoning, often supported by processes such as observation, experimentation, ...
and applied mechanics in 1964 and later served as a visiting professor at
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
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 The National Research Council (Italian: ''Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, CNR'') is the largest research council in Italy. As a public organisation, its remit is to support scientific and technological research. Its headquarters are in Rome. ...
and gave seminars at numerous universities, including Princeton,
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,
Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
,
Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...
,
Genova Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitants ...
,
Messina Messina ( , ; ; ; ) is a harbour city and the capital city, capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of 216,918 inhabitants ...
,
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, and the
University of Bologna The University of Bologna (, abbreviated Unibo) is a Public university, public research university in Bologna, Italy. Teaching began around 1088, with the university becoming organised as guilds of students () by the late 12th century. It is the ...
. Şuhubi worked at several positions at the
Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey The Scientific and Technological Research Institution of Turkey (, TÜBİTAK) is a national agency of Turkey whose stated goal is to develop "science, technology and innovation" (STI) policies, support and conduct research and development, and to ...
(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 {{Infobox university , name = University of Calgary , image = University of Calgary coat of arms without motto scroll.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms , former ...
, Canada, from January to May 1987. In September 1982, he was a visiting professor at the
University of Genova The University of Genoa () is a Public university, public research university. It is one of the largest universities in Italy and it is located in the city of Genoa, on the Italian Riviera in the Liguria region of northwestern Italy. The original ...
'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 The Academia Europaea is a pan-European Academy of humanities, letters, law, and sciences. The Academia was founded in 1988 as a functioning Europe-wide Academy that encompasses all fields of scholarly inquiry. It acts as co-ordinator of Europe ...
, 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 Yeditepe University () is a private non-profit university situated in Istanbul, Turkey. Established by the Istanbul Education and Culture Foundation ('', İSTEK Vakfı'') in 1996, Yeditepe University now claims to be the largest of the 74 priva ...
in the Department of Mathematics. Prior to this, he served as a professor of mechanics at
Istanbul Technical University Istanbul Technical University, also known as Technical University of Istanbul (, commonly referred to as İTÜ), is an public university, public technical university located in Istanbul, Turkey. It is the world's third-oldest 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 An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The editor-in-chief heads all departments of the organization and is held accoun ...
of Ý.T.Ü. Bülteni (published by Springer-Verlag as ARIÑ since 1997, a subsidiary of the German
Springer Publishing Company Springer Publishing Company is an American publishing company of academic journals and books, focusing on the fields of nursing, gerontology, psychology, social work, counseling, public health, and rehabilitation (neuropsychology). It was es ...
) from 1981 to 1984, and again from 1994 to 1999. Additionally, he was an
associate editor An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The editor-in-chief heads all departments of the organization and is held accoun ...
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 Gebze Technical University (), formerly known as Gebze Institute of Technology (GIT), is one of two institutes of technology in Turkey, the other being İzmir Institute of Technology. Located in Gebze, one of the most industrialized regions of ...
in recognition of his contributions and the Distinguished Service Award by
Middle East Technical University Middle East Technical University (commonly referred to as METU; in Turkish language, Turkish, ''Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi'', ODTÜ) is a prestigious public university, public Institute of technology, technical university located in Ankara, ...
(METU) in 2013. He also served on the editorial boards of several academic journals and was engaged in the
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
'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.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Şuhubi, Erdoğan 1934 births 2024 deaths Academics from Istanbul Academic staff of Istanbul Technical University People from Kadıköy Members of Academia Europaea Members of the Turkish Academy of Sciences Recipients of TÜBİTAK Science Award