The commemoration ceremony held on the 43rd anniversary of the passing of Prof. Dr. Mustafa Parlar, the founding dean of the Faculty of Engineering at METU, was attended by the members of Parlar Foundation, as well as METU alumni and faculty members. There ceremony started at the monument dedicated to Dr. Parlar on the METU campus. Wreaths were laid at the monument on behalf of the Parlar Foundation and the Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Engineering.
Uysal: “We continue to preserve the memories of Professor Parlar”
In her speech by Mustafa Parlar’s monument, Prof. Dr. Elif Uysal, the President of the Parlar Foundation Board, quoted from the “Obituary” written by Hüseyin Arıbul after Mustafa Parlar’s passing, describing him “the initiator of university-industry relations, the founder of METU, and the great encourager of the manufacturing spirit that ended our country’s dependency in the electrical and electronics industry.” Following Uysal’s speech, a group photo was taken. Then, the commemoration ceremony continued at the Prof. Dr. Sevim Tan Lecture Hall in the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering. In her speech at the lecture hall, Prof. Dr. Elif Uysal said, “On the 43rd anniversary of Prof. Dr. Parlar’s passing, we have gathered once again, and we continue to preserve the memories of Professor Parlar, who established and laid the initial foundations for this very engineering faculty.
Ulusoy: “Our duty is to provide a healthy education and research environment for students”
After Prof. Dr. Uysal, Prof. Dr. İlkay Ulusoy, the Chair of the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at METU delivered a speech. Dr. Ulusoy said about Mustafa Parlar, “Our esteemed professor made significant contributions to the current state of our university. We are grateful that he was born and became a member of the METU family.” Ulusoy also underlined their commitment to establishing a healthy education and research environment for students, stating “Now it is our responsibility to sustain this mindset and ensure its continuation into the future. Our duty is to provide a healthy education and research environment for students, and set a good example for them.”
After Ulusoy’s speech, a biographical documentary film on Mustafa Parlar’s life was screened. Then, the commemoration event continued with speeches from Prof. Dr. Bilgin Kaftanoğlu, Prof. Dr. Bülent Ertan from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, and Hüseyin Arıbul, METU Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering Class of 1963.
“Our aim is to increase the number of incentive awards for young researchers”
As part of the commemoration ceremony, the 2023 Parlar Awards also found their recipients. Prof. Dr. Elif Uysal announced the addition of a new award this year in memory of Mustafa Parlar. Stating their aim of increasing the number of incentive awards to support young researchers and human resources, Prof. Dr. Uysal said, “This year, we launch Ufuk and Güngör Gündüz Conference Travel Award for the first time. This award has been designed to enable a doctoral student in the field of biology and chemistry to attend a prestigious conference abroad.”
Dr. Uysal also expressed their sadness regarding the passing of retired faculty member Prof. Dr. Mübeccel Demirekler, who received the Service Award in 2023 Parlar Awards, on December 13. “Professor Demirekler passed away last week, and we mourn the loss of our esteemed professor,” she said.
Here are the winners of 2023 Parlar Awards:
Service Award
Prof. Dr. Mübeccel Demirekler – Middle East Technical University, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Research Incentive Award
Prof. Dr. Göktuğ Karpat – İzmir University of Economics, Department of Physics
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sündüs Erbaş Çakmak – Necmettin Erbakan University, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mert Gür – İstanbul Technical University, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Saniye Söylemez – Necmettin Erbakan University, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Asst. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Acar – Middle East Technical University, Department of Biological Sciences
Asst. Prof. Dr. Hamdi Dibeklioğlu – Bilkent University, Department of Computer Engineering
Asst. Prof. Dr. Eren Günseli – Sabancı University, Department of Psychology
Asst. Prof. Dr. Onur Özcan – Bilkent University, Department of Mechanical Engineering
METU Educator of the Year Award
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Erkan Er – Middle East Technical University, Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technology
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Süleyman Kürşat Çınar – Middle East Technical University, Department of Political Sciences and Public Administration
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmetcik Pamuk – Middle East Technical University, Department of Mathematics
About Prof. Dr. Mustafa N. Parlar Education and Research Foundation Awards
The METU Prof. Dr. Mustafa N. Parlar Education and Research Foundation Awards are presented to recognize and encourage the distinguished contributions of exemplary scientists across all fields of research and application, aiming to document their expertise, support their work, and thus inspire the younger generations.
