Colleague prof.dr. Pacelli Zitha (GSE) passed away

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved colleague Pacelli Zitha, Professor within the department Geoscience and Engineering. Pacelli passed away Sunday February 18 at the age of 62, with his family by his side.

Pacelli started his career at TU Delft in 1995. From 2002 to 2007 he was Director of the ‘Dietz’ Laboratory at the former faculty of Mining & Petroleum Engineering. In 2007 he was appointed professor Oil and Gas Production Engineering at the faculty of CEG. From 2018 to 2023 he was Director of the Geoscience and Engineering laboratory.

His passion for his research field was immense. While initially focussed on classical oil and gas production, he already long ago became interested in more sustainable geo-energy sources and made lasting scientific contributions to enable subsurface storage of CO2. His education was his dedication: Reservoir Engineering not from the lecture notes but from life. The interaction with students during a course was a warm pleasure for all.

Pacelli will be remembered as inspirational and determined. He thought out of the box and challenged colleagues to explore new avenues of thought and inquiry, also when it came to idea’s for experiments and setups in the laboratory.

We commemorate Pacelli with respect and gratitude. He will be deeply missed.

Timo Heimovaara, Head of department Geoscience and Engineering