In Memoriam: Prof.dr. Hans de Wit
The Department Materials Science and Engineering has received the sad news that our highly appreciated professor-emeritus Prof. dr. Hans de Wit, passed away in the night of the 21st / 22nd January 2018 in Broek op Langedijk at the age of 71 years. His funeral will take place in Schagen on Saturday January 27.
Hans was professor Corrosion Technology and Electrochemistry from 1985 to 2011 in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering of Delft University of Technology. He led revolutionary research into the introduction of advanced electrochemical techniques to study local corrosion and in particular, durability of corrosion protective coatings for a wide range of application areas: from the automotive industry to offshore and maritime applications.
Hans was a highly regarded colleague and teacher, straightforward and clear. The students and postdocs will remember Hans as a passionate man with enthusiasm for his field of research and an inexhaustible energy and perseverance: “if things don’t go as you wish, keep on smiling and don’t give up“ was his credo. Hans was an inspiring speaker, always interacting with the audience and delivering a clear message.
In addition, Hans de Wit was passionate about building bridges between university and industry. As such, he was cluster leader from the earliest stages of the Netherlands Institute of Metals Research (NIMR) and later the Materials innovation institute (M2i). From 2002 to 2005 Hans de Wit was a Member of the Executive Board of TNO and president-commissioner of NMI. From 1996 to 2002 he was Chief Technology Officer at the former Hoogovens, later Corus. In July 2011 Hans retired.
Our thoughts are with Hans’ wife, children, grandchildren, family, friends, colleagues and students. We wish them all a great deal of strength to bear this loss.
Ian Richardson
Department Chair Materials Science and Engineering (3mE)
Arjan Mol
Professor Corrosion Technology and Electrochemistry