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In Memoriam: the dean. In less than eight years, the SST program was turning out more Rustum Roy PhD graduates than any department on campus. Co-founder of the In 1962, the first stand-alone “In- Materials Research Society terdisciplinary Laboratory for Materi- (1924–2010) als Research” was created as a faculty tenure-granting unit. Roy was appointed director, where he served for 23 years. During his tenure, the MRL attracted top international scientists across a range of disciplines and Penn State was to be- ustum Roy, co-founder of the age 17) and his MSc degree in physical come a landmark in scientifi c education R Materials Research Society, died on chemistry at Patna University, and started and research. August 26, 2010 at State College, Penn- research on the most “useful” mineral re- Following the founding of MRS sylvania. He was 86 years old. source of the region—mica. (which had its fi rst home at Penn State; In 1973, along with Harry Gatos, Mark In 1945, Roy was among 80 students Ernest Hawk as its fi rst staff person, fol- Myers, Ken Jackson, and numerous col- selected for overseas training. In 1946 he lowed by John B. Ballance, executive leagues, Roy co-founded the Materials was assigned to study mineral-chemistry director), the success of MRS meetings Research Society. He left a permanent at Penn State. Roy’s goal was to absorb was dramatic and the size of the meetings mark on the materials fi eld, starting with the best of U.S. culture, and its science, grew rapidly. One of Roy’s major impacts fundamentals, phase diagrams and crys- to take home to serve . on the MRS activities was the generation tal chemistry, the sol-gel process, hydro- Fate intervened when he met Della of a large number of sequential symposia thermal reaction, microwave processing, Martin, a graduate student who was on “The Scientifi c Basis of Nuclear Waste nucleation in glass, and the emerging fi eld assigned to share the same laboratory Management,” which had a major infl u- of water science, as well as resonance ef- with Roy. He received his PhD degree ence on the fi eld. fects in condensed matter. on June 7th and they were married on Roy’s research continued to advance Roy was associated with the Pennsyl- June 8th, 1948. Roy remained at Penn the boundaries of science and technol- vania State University (Penn State) for State in order to work with his mentor, ogy up to the present, including semi- 65 years as a graduate student and fac- E.F. Osborn, and within a year had de- nal research in the emerging field of ulty member, interrupted for one year in veloped the conceptual basis and fi rst water science. which he was assigned In addition to scientifi c re- to the National Ceramic search, a hallmark of all his Laboratory in Calcutta. activity was his dedication to At Penn State Roy held breaking artifi cial boundaries positions as Evan Pugh in order to integrate science, Professor of the Solid religion, education, health, State (the University’s art, and social action for hu- highest honor); as Pro- man benefi t. He chaired for fessor of Science, Tech- many years the Science and nology, and Society; and Society Sector of President

as Professor of Geo- Rustum Roy (second from the left) at the Founders’ Dinner during the 1993 Mikhail Gorbachev’s State chemistry. He also was a Materials Research Society Fall Meeting. of the World forum. He was Distinguished Professor founder and chair of Friends of Materials at , experimental proof of the “sol-gel” of Health, served as co-chair of the Chopra and a Visiting Professor of Medicine at process, perhaps his most infl uential Foundation, and hosted a live Internet talk the . discovery in science. radio show on VoiceAmerica.com. His work has been recognized by his In 1957, Roy became full professor. Roy was an endless fount of provoca- election to fi ve separate National Acad- Pursuing his goal of interdisciplinary tive ideas. emies of Engineering/Science: of the education and research in 1959–1960, Ron Roy United States, Sweden, India, Japan, and Roy chaired Penn State’s MS/PhD de- Associate, Kacvinsky Daisak PLLC Russia. He had the Order of the Rising gree program in Solid State Technolo- Della Roy Sun with Gold Rays conferred on him by gy, which was administered not by any The Pennsylvania State University the Emperor of Japan. department, but by an interdisciplinary The authors thank Subhash Mahajan and Roy completed his BSc degree (at group of faculty reporting directly to John B. Ballance for their contributions.

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