TÜBA Principle Member Prof. Dr. Oğuz Okay was given the Georg Forster Research Award
According to the announcement made on November 4, TÜBA Principle Member Prof. Dr. Oğuz Okay has been chosen for the Georg Forster Research Award, given in Germany by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for lifelong contributions to science. The award will be presented to Oğuz Okay at the annual meeting of the Foundation which is to take place in Berlin in June 2015.
Prof. Dr. Oğuz Okay has earned this award for his research that has shed light on the structures of soft and smart polymer materials and the relations between their features. Prof. Okay has developed new technologies such as reusable absorbent materials to collect petrol residue in seas and materials that can self repair and have shape recognition, also he has participated in a number of different international research studies and training activities and organized many himself.
Oğuz Okay, who will be receiving a monetary award of 60 thousand Euro from the Foundation, will also get an additional 25 thousand Euro to contribute to his scientific studies and towards travel to scientific conferences. Prof. Dr. Oğuz Okay has also been invited to work on a research project in Germany with a research group of his choice. Nominated for this award by the Berlin Helmholtz Materials and Energy Research Center, Oğuz Okay will conduct joint research in this institution for a period of 12 months.
The Georg Forster Research Award
The Georg Forster Research Award is given to researchers who make important contributions to science at an international level with their discoveries and new theories and provide solutions to problems in developing countries. This award which covers all scientific research fields is given to a maximum of 4 people from developing countries every year.
Prof. Dr. Oğuz Okay
Graduated from the İstanbul University Chemical Engineering Department in 1977, Oğuz Okay completed his doctorate work in the Vienna Technical University Macromolecular Chemistry Institute in 1981. Having conducted research at various universities throughout Turkey, Germany and the U.S. Okay has been working as a faculty member of the Istanbul Technical University (ITU) Chemical Department since 1998. In 1990 he received the TUBİTAK Encouragement Award, in 1994 the Sedat Simavi Physical Sciences Award, in 2005 the TÜBİTAK Science Award and in 2007 the ITU Foundation Science Award. He was elected to become a Principle Member of TÜBA in 2006. With around 150 articles in various international magazines to date and 4 patents, over 4000 references were made to Oğuz Okay's work and he has a Hirsch index of 38.