Turkey had sacrificed an important scientist to a traffic 'accident' 18 years ago. Under the vehicle used by the unlicensed driver, Prof. Dr. Ordal Demokan was one of the rare physicists trained by Turkey.
One of the pioneers of plasma physics in Turkey. Founder of METU Physics Department Plasma Physics Laboratory and deceased lecturer at METU physics department. His research interest is “Ray-Particle Interaction”. He was born on January 13, 1946 in Istanbul. He graduated from TED Ankara College in 1962 and then completed his undergraduate studies in 1966 and his graduate studies in 1967 at the Department of Electrical Engineering at Middle East Technical University. He was selected as a TUBITAK scholarship student between 1964 and 1967. He was awarded Fulbright and University of Iowa scholarships between 1967-1969. He completed his PhD (PhD) at the University of Iowa in 1970.
In September 1970, he started to work as an assistant professor in the Physics Department of Middle East Technical University. Ordal Demokan established the Plasma Physics Laboratory at METU in 1972 and became the pioneer of Plasma Physics studies. He received the title of Associate Professor in 1976. Between 1978-1979, he was the director of the plasma and laser department of TAEK (Turkish Atomic Energy Agency).
Between 1979-1981, he was a visiting researcher at the Jülich Research Center Plasma Physics department and worked on the TEXTOR Tokamak experiment. He returned to the newly established Gazi University in 1982 and worked at the Faculty of Technical Education between 1982-1983. In 1983, he was the head of the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering.
He returned to the Physics Department of Middle East Technical University in 1984 and served as the vice president of the department between 1984-1985. He received the title of professor in 1988.
Ordal Demokan died on October 29, 2004 in Ankara, at the age of 58, after being hit by an unlicensed driver. The driver was released after questioning because he was under 18 years old. Demokan's funeral was buried in the Cebeci Asri Cemetery after the funeral prayer performed after the noon prayer at the Kocatepe Mosque.
Source: METU Department of Physics
📩 22/12/2022 21:43
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