GRADUATES
IN T H E NEWS
Geotechnical
Engineering
Researcher
Honored in China
M
ehmet Tümay RC Eng 59, Distinguished Professor
E m e r i t u s at Louisiana State University and an adjunct
professor at Boğaziçi, was recently honored by his peers at
the Geio S h a n g h a i International C o n f e r e n c e for his
contributions to the field of geotechnical e n g i n e e r i n g . The
conference was held in S h a n g h a i , C h i n a , J u n e 6-8.
Tümay has done extensive research for the past 40
years in the areas of in-situ evaluation of engineering
properties of soils, soil p h y s i c o c h e m i c a l behavior and novel
m e t h o d s of soil i m p r o v e m e n t . He has earned national and
international recognition from the consulting and a c a d e m i c
c o m m u n i t i e s for his pioneering research a c c o m p l i s h m e n t s ,
mainly in electronic cone penetration and c o m p u t e r - a i d e d
data c o l l e c t i o n / r e d u c t i o n s y s t e m s for evaluation of the
engineering behavior of particulate m e d i a . He has s e r v e d
as principal investigator of n u m e r o u s grants from
prestigious national and international agencies. A major
international consulting c o m p a n y from The N e t h e r l a n d s
established the " F u g r o Post-Doctoral fellowship at L S U
dedicated to the a d v a n c e m e n t of in-situ testing under Dr.
Tümay's s u p e r v i s i o n " .
Tümay was an active faculty m e m b e r at L S U from 1976¬
2 0 0 5 , and served the L S U College of Engineering as the
associate dean for research and graduate studies and as
director of the Donald W. Clayton Interdisciplinary Graduate
P r o g r a m in Engineering S c i e n c e . He is currently a
distinguished visiting professor at the Korean A d v a n c e d
Institute for S c i e n c e and Technology in S o u t h K o r e a , and an
adjunct professor at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul.
Tümay received a bachelor of science degree from
Robert College S c h o o l of E n g i n e e r i n g . He received a
master's degree from the University of Virginia and
c o m p l e t e d a Ph.D. at Istanbul Technical University, where he
later received a postdoctoral Docent degree. His a c a d e m i c ,
research and consulting affiliations include universities,
research institutions and industry in the United States, The
Netherlands, France, Turkey, K o r e a , Norway, Taiwan, P o l a n d ,
Brazil and People's Republic of C h i n a .
Arman Manukyan
Celebrates 50
Years at Boğaziçi
A
rman Manukyan RC 51, a legend on the Boğaziçi
University c a m p u s , can count many of Turkey's
leading business people a m o n g the 16,000 students
he has taught in his 5 0 - y e a r career as a business studies
professor.
Born in 1931, Manukyan entered Robert College as a lise
student in 1945. His closest friends included future culture
minister Talat H a l m a n , his cousin M a h m u t Öngören, Oktay
Yenal and Rahmi Koç. In 1949, together with H a l m a n ,
Öngören he put together a hand-printed m a g a z i n e called
The Tower which they sent off to universities in the U S . In
L i s e 2, he began to take a keen interest in s p o r t s . To join the
s p o r t s club, candidates had to complete a walk from
Emirgan to istinye, Maslak, Harbiye, Taksim, Dolmabahçe
and Bebek. The walk began at noon, and ended at 8 p m . He
also joined the football team, which used to c o m p e t e against
a different istanbul lise or university team every Wednesday.
In lise, he also took up photography. Despite objections from
his family, he set up a d a r k r o o m at home to print his own
pictures.
Manukyan first wore a bowtie in 1955, on the o c c a s i o n of
a party at A C G . His aunt so admired his look, she s u g g e s t e d
he always wear one. He did- in time, he b e c a m e f a m o u s for
his bowties, and his collection grew to n u m b e r over 100.
In 1951, he graduated and began importing m a c h i n e r y
parts with his family. He married Alis in 1995. That s a m e
year, a c h a n c e meeting would c h a n g e his fate. He b u m p e d
into his old classmate Oktay Yenal in Taksim. A t e a c h e r at
Boğaziçi, Yenal had been transferred to E r z u r u m , so he
asked Manukyan if he would take over his teaching duties at
Boğaziçi. On S e p t e m b e r 14, Manukyan began a career that
he would devote his life to.
In 1958, he was awarded a Fulbright s c h o l a r s h i p and
began a graduate degree in business administration. In
1960, he returned to Turkey, continuing both with teaching,
and the family business. In 1971 RC b e c a m e Boğaziçi
University and Manukyan b e c a m e a faculty member. He
earned a reputation as a lively professor who brought a
wealth of real world experience and a n e c d o t e s to the
c l a s s r o o m . His former student C e m B o y n e r RC 74 says of
him " F r o m A r m a n H o c a , I learnt that profits might one day
be recorded as losses, that even happiness has a cost, and
also how to be a m a n , " .
A l t h o u g h he retired in 1982, Manukyan c o n t i n u e d
teaching part-time. Indefatigable, for the past 10 years, he
has taught C o n t e m p o r a r y Issues in A c c o u n t i n g once a week.
"I will teach as long as I live," he has s a i d .
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