ISSMGE Bulletin: Volume 12, Issue 4 Page 17 Obituary In Memoriam: Professor Iacint Manoliu (1934 – 2018), by TC306

Professor Iacint Manoliu passed away on June 12, 2018, at a hospital in . He is survived by his twin sister Arina, his wife and companion (Sandra) of almost 60 years, his daughter (Mihaela), son (Costin) and grandchild (Victor). May they live a long life to remember him.

And how many remarkable things they have to remember!

The parents of Iacint, Alexandra and Ioan Manoliu, were professors at two of the most prestigious high schools in Bucharest. Iacint started playing sports early, together with his older sister Lia. At the beginning ping-pong on the dining table, then tennis at the Romanian Tennis Club in Bucharest. In 1948 he became the national tennis champion at the children’s category (under 15). Prior to becoming a construction engineer and teacher, Iacint Manoliu was for 12 years, between 1947 and 1959, sports journalist, editor of “Sportul Popular”, later called “Sportul”.

Back row (from left to right): Alexandra and Ioan Manoliu Front row: Iacint, Arina and Lia Manoliu

Iacint Manoliu obtained his Engineering (MSc) degree (1957) and PhD in Civil Engineering (1974) from the Technical University of Civil Engineering in Bucharest (UTCB). He started his academic career as a Teaching Assistant (1959–1966), then Assistant Professor (1966–1975), Associate Professor (1975–1982) and Full Professor, always at UTCB. He further served UTCB from the positions of Associate Dean (1972–1976) and Dean (1976–1984), Faculty of Civil, Industrial and Agricultural Buildings, Vice-Rector for Academic and International Affairs (1990–1996), Vice-Rector for International Affairs (1996–2000), and President of the Council for Cooperation and International Relations (2000–2011). ISSMGE Bulletin: Volume 12, Issue 4 Page 18 Obituary (Con’t) In Memoriam: Professor Iacint Manoliu (1934 – 2018)

Professor Manoliu was author and co-author of more than 100 published books, handbooks and papers in the field of soil mechanics and foundation engineering and in the field of engineering education. He was co- principal investigator in a research project carried out jointly by the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Texas at Austin and the Design and Research Institute for Oilfield Equipment, Bucharest, concerning pile foundations for offshore structures (1976–1986). Professor Manoliu supported numerous scientific, professional and international activities. He was Correspondent Member of the Romanian Academy of Technical Sciences (2005–2018), President of the Romanian Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (1996–2012), and Vice-President of the Union of Associations of Civil Engineers of Romania (UAICR, 1996–2018).

He served the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) in many capacities, promoting consistently education issues. He was member of TC 31 (Education in Geotechnical Engineering, 1993–2005) and TC 306 (Geo-engineering Education, 2009–2018), and Chairman of ECT 16 (European Technical Committee on Education & Training, 2007–2011). He chaired four international conferences:

 Danube-European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Constantza, 1995;  First International Conference on Geotechnical Engineering Education and Training, Sinaia, 2000;  Second International Young Geotechnical Engineers’ Conference, Constantza, 2003;  First International Conference on Education and Training in Geo-engineering Sciences: Soil Mechanics, Geotechnical Engineering, Engineering Geology and Rock Mechanics, Constantza, 2008.

The technical committee for Geo-engineering Education, TC306, is grateful to Professor Manoliu for conceiving and organizing the first two international conferences on Geo-education (2000, 2008) and for recording their history and successful continuation in a paper presented at the 2016 conference in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, which is available through ISSMGE’s online library.

In addition, Professor Manoliu served the European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI) as member of the Administrative Council (1998–2006), the European Association of Civil Engineering Faculties (AECEF) as member of the Executive Board (1998–2006), the European Council of Civil Engineers (ECCE) as Vice- president (1999–2005) and Chairman of the Standing Committee on Education & Training (2003–2016), and the European Civil Engineering Education and Training (EUCEET) Association as Secretary General (2008- 2018). Professor Manoliu will be remembered by a significant number of civil engineers, many of whom geotechnical engineers, for his dedication to coordinating various network projects, many funded by the European Union, which provided opportunities for large-scale teamwork on civil engineering education.

While he never abandoned international cooperation efforts, in later years he found time to return to journalism, this time writing about his sister Lia Manoliu (1932– 1998), the first track and field athlete to compete at six Olympics (1952–1972). Lia Manoliu won two bronze medals (1960: , 1964: ) and one gold (1968: ) in . Being in the USA on a Fulbright scholarship, Iacint managed to travel to Mexico City, be at the Olympic stadium and celebrate the gold medal with Lia.

Professor Iacint Manoliu lived a full life and celebrated many accomplishments Manoliu, I. 2016. Letters and happy moments within his own family, his geotechnical engineering family from Lia, Vremea and his civil engineering family. He will be remembered by all with love, gratitude Editions, Bucharest. and respect.

Professor Marina Pantazidou Chair of TC 306 "Geo-engineering Education ISSMGE Bulletin: Volume 12, Issue 4 Page 19 Obituary (Con’t) In Memoriam: Professor Iacint Manoliu (1934 – 2018), by Romanian Society of Geotechnical and Foundation Engineering (RoSGFE)

The Romanian Society of Geotechnical and Foundation Engineering (RoSGFE) is announcing with the deepest regrets that Professor Iacint Manoliu passed away on the 12th of June, 2018, at the age of 84 years. This was a difficult moment for our society.

Professor Manoliu was a founding father of the RiSGFE and will remain in the heart of this professional family. In this regard, we present a chronological synthesis of his activity over 60 years, on a national and international level.

Iacint Manoliu was an Emeritus Professor at the Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest. He was born on April 5, 1934 in Botosani. He attended a high school in Bucharest, graduated in 1952, and the Faculty of Civil and Industrial Buildings of the Bucharest Institute of Civil Engineering (ICB), graduating in 1957. He became a member of the Department of Geotechnics and Foundation Engineering of ICB in February 1959, occupying successively the positions of Head of Laboratory, Assistant, Lecturer (1975), Professor (1982), Consultant Professor (2004) and Emeritus Professor (2012).

In 1974 he obtained his PhD title, after presenting at ICB the thesis entitled "Behavior of piles subjected to transverse loads". He was the main researcher in a joint venture project of the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin and a design institute (IPCUP) from Bucharest on offshore platform piles, between 1976 and 1986.

He was the author and co-author of more than 100 books, textbooks, communications, papers and prescriptions in the field of geotechnical engineering and higher technical education.

Since 2004 he was a correspondent member of the Academy of Technical Sciences in Romania.

In 2008, the "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University Iasi awarded him the title of Doctor Honoris Causa.

He has held leading positions at the Institute of Civil Engineering Bucharest (from 1995 Technical University of Civil Engineering in Bucharest): Vice- Dean (1972-1976) and dean (1976-1984) at the Faculty of Civil, Industrial and Agricultural Construction, Vice-Rector (1990-2000) and President of the Council for Cooperation and International Relations (2000-2011).

He was a founding member of the Romanian Society for Geotechnical and Foundation Engineering and served several roles in the society as vice-president between 1990-1996 and President of the society between 1996- 2012. Since 2012 he was the Honorary President of the RoSGFE. He initiated the publication of the Romanian Journal of Geotechnical and Foundation Engineering, since 2004.

Between 2007-2011, Professor Manoliu chaired the European Technical Committee 31 "Education and Training in Geotechnical Engineering" of the ISSMGE.

Since 1990, Professor Manoliu has initiated and coordinated numerous projects in the field of higher education funded by the European Commission, including the EUCEET Thematic Networks (European Civil Engineering Education and Training) developed between 1998-2010. Since 2008 he was Secretary General of the EUCEET Association.

ISSMGE Bulletin: Volume 12, Issue 4 Page 20 Obituary (Con’t) In Memoriam: Professor Iacint Manoliu (1934 – 2018), by Romanian Society of Geotechnical and Foundation Engineering (RoSGFE)

He has worked as a European expert in the Tuning-Latin America (2006-2012), Tuning-Georgia (2008-2009) and Tuning-Russia (2011-2013) projects.

Since 2008 he was an international expert for C.T.I. (Commission des Titres d'Ingénieurs, France).

Between 1994-2005 he was Vice-President of E.C.C.E. (European Council of Civil Engineers), and since 2003 has lead the permanent Education & Training Working Group of E.C.C.E.

He was a founding member of E.N.A.E.E. (European Network for Accreditation in Engineering Education) and since 2008 was a representative of E.N.A.E.E. of ARACIS (Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education).

We believe that the living testimonies of his work dedicated to the field of Geotechnical Engineering, namely his books, researches and projects, all of which serve as current technical norms that govern the prescriptions in Romania, bear his mark, along with the theories, the methods of calculation and the newly introduced and promoted in our country, and most importantly with the specialists formed under his guidance as a Professor in TUCEB, thus creating the "geotechnical engineer".

Professor Manoliu has been and has remained our “open door” to Europe and the world, a valid unlimited passport. The name of Manoliu in the international geotechnical community is identified with Romania.

The de facto founder of the RoSGFE, leading its destiny permanently, our Honorary President, will remain forever for us and will pass further to future generations a model of modesty, fairness, professionalism and patriotism, as a complete intellectual and lover of fine arts, and above all a MAN.

ISSMGE Bulletin: Volume 12, Issue 4 Page 21 Obituary (Con’t) In Memoriam: Professor Iacint Manoliu (1934 – 2018), by Romanian Society of Geotechnical and Foundation Engineering (RoSGFE)

We are grateful for Professor Iacint Manoliu’s contribution in our lives and we ensure that he will never be forgotten.

We sincerely appreciate the international geotechnical engineering community for the emotional messages sent.

Professor Sanda Manea President RoSGFE