3 The RAPS Sheet November 2020 In memoriam: H. Chik M. Erzurumlu, 1934-2020 of Professional Engineers and the American Society of Civil Engineers. Dean Erzurumlu also contributed significantly to the local community through his service to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, City Club of Portland, Rotary Club, Multnomah Athletic Club, American Electronics Association-Oregon Council, Portland Advisory Committee for Engineering Education, and Portland Planning Commission. Early in his Portland State career, he was twice the recipient of the Mosser Award for outstanding teaching. In 1985 he was recognized as the Outstanding Engineer of the Year by the ASCE Oregon Section, and in 1999 he was named the Engineer of the Year by the Professional Engineers of Oregon. He was a fellow of both the American Society of Civil Engineers and the National Society of Professional Engineers. The University of Texas-Austin honored Dean Erzurumlu by naming him a Distinguished Engineering Graduate in 2007, and he was inducted into the UT Academy of Distinguished Alumni in 2010. Dean Erzurumlu played tennis into his 80s and taught soccer to Peace Corps trainees. He supported the Timbers as well as PSU and University of Texas athletics, and was a member of the Multnomah Athletic Club and Rotary International. Dean Erzurumlu married Ulku Arasli in 1963, and together they enjoyed opera, travel, and art; Mrs. Erzurumlu died in 2011. Survivors include many cousins, nieces, and nephews in the United States, Canada, Germany, and Turkey. He was laid to rest next to Ulku in a private ceremony at Riverview Cemetery in Portland on October 9. Remembrances may be sent to the Chik and Ulku Erzurumlu Endowed Scholarship through the Portland State University Foundation, P.O. Box 243, Portland, OR 97207-0243 or online at psuf.org. H. CHIK M. ERZURUMLU, the driving force behind the establishment of the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science and the college’s dean emeritus, died October 5. He was 86 years old. Dean Erzurumlu was born in Istanbul on March 7, 1934, and received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Istanbul Technical University in 1957. After completing an M.S. in structural engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, he joined the Portland State faculty in 1962, teaching engineering and mathematics in the Department of Applied Science. In 1970 he received a Ph.D. in structural engineering from UT-Austin. By the late 1970s Dean Erzurumlu, as head of the Department of Applied Science, was leading the effort to establish comprehensive engineering education in the Portland area. In 1980 the department became a division, and two years later the School of Engineering and Applied Science was established. As the founding dean, he oversaw years of innovation and new initiatives as he worked to build a solid foundation for the new school. “He was a giant figure whose efforts transformed lives for the better and put Portland State University on the map as an important player in the technology landscape of Oregon,” said Richard Corsi, the H. Chik M. Erzurumlu Dean of the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science. Dean Erzurumlu retired in 1995. In 2004, a multi- million dollar gift from one of Professor Erzurumlu’s former students, Fariborz Maseeh, led not only to the college’s renaming, but to an endowment naming the deanship for Dean Erzurumlu. Last spring, he was inducted as the first honorary member of the college’s Academy of Distinguished Alumni. “He was instrumental in finding the resources to hire faculty, build graduate programs, and develop strong partnerships with industry,” wrote Dean Corsi in a statement announcing Dean Erzurumlu’s death. “Chik was not only a very good engineer and administrator, he was also a friend to many.” Dean Erzurumlu contributed extensively to research that included numerous funded projects, technical papers, and presentations. He was a frequent invited speaker and panelist at technical, professional, educational, and civil groups. He held several leadership positions in the National Society PSU Archives Digital Gallery 1985
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