NEWS

Prof. Dr. A. László Gömze (1950-2022)
2022-02-02 SZTE

Prof. Dr. Antal László Gömze (1950-2022)

It is with great sadness that we have to inform you that Prof. Dr. Antal László Gömze, Professor Emeritus of the University of Miskolc – Faculty of Ceramic and Polymer Engineering, President of the Editorial Board of Építőanyag – Journal of Silicate Based and Composite Materials online magazine published by the Scientific Society of the Silicate Industry, unexpectedly and suddenly passed away at the age of 72, on 18th January 2022. The respected teacher of the University of Miskolc and an outstanding expert of his field is mourned by the University of Miskolc where his memory will be honoured and preserved.

Antal László Gömze acquired a mechanical engineer diploma with honours in 1973 in the V.V. Kuibyshev State University in Moscow. After this, he started his career in Budapest, at the Épületkerámia-ipari vállalat (Building Ceramics Industrial Company) as a designer and editor. From 1975, he worked at KEVITERV as Head of Department, then from 1977 until 1986 he worked at the Nehézipari Műszaki Egyetem (Heavy Industry University) in Miskolc as an Academic Assistant, later Assistant Professor. During this period – pausing his work at the University – he graduated as a silicate chemist in 1979 at the Dmitry Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology in Moscow, then still in Moscow he was a candidate between 1981 and 1984, acquiring his doctoral degree in 1985. In 1986, he was asked to manage the Hollóháza Porcelain Factory, where he worked as Chief Executive Officer until 1990.

Between 1990 and 1993 he managed his own company, then from 1993 he worked again at the University of Miskolc – Department of Material Handling and Logistics Systems as an Associate Professor, Head of Specialty Group, and Head of Specialty. His responsibility was to operate the main silicate machinery specialty, the supplementary ceramics and composites specialty and organize and manage industrial research. He won several international tenders during these years, and established good connections with many other European universities, where he sent his students for study trips.

In 1999, he was asked to participate in materials engineering education conducted at the University of Miskolc, Faculty of Material and Metallurgical Engineering. He established the Faculty of Ceramic and Silicate Engineering, of which he was the head until 2014. He developed the structure and curriculum program of the Silicate Technology BSc and the Ceramic and Silicate Engineering MSc Specialty. As a university teacher he participated actively in the doctoral training, where 4 people graduated under his supervision.

He was an author or co-author of several patents, 5 books and more than 250 scientific articles; most of his articles were written in Hungarian or Russian before 2008.

Since 2012, he was also a guest professor at the Tomsk State University, Russian Federation, where he participated in the Physicist Engineering MSc and PhD education.

He retired in 2020 as a university teacher, but he continued to actively participate in university education and doctoral training until his sudden death.

Besides teaching, he participated in several research & development projects effectively or as a supervisor with his university or business colleagues, as he maintained very wide-ranged and good connections with almost every company in the ceramics and silicate industry.

Besides his university career, the scientific and professional public activities of A. László Gömze’s were also very diverse and wide-ranged.

He presented plenary talks at more than 20 European and international conferences, and oral presentations at more then 50 acknowledged international conferences.

From 2012, he worked on organizing several international conferences in Hungary with great enthusiasm and persistence. He was the main organizer and all-time chairman of the International Conference on Competitive Materials and Technology Processes, the International Conference on Rheology and Modeling of Materials, and the European Conference on Silicon and Silica Based Materials international conferences held biannually in Miskolc-Lillafüred, where almost all nations represented themselves. These prestigious international conferences provided opportunity for an international debut for many young Hungarians.

Besides his scientific organizational work, he was head of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Miskolc Academic Committee, Ceramics and Silicates Work Committee.

He was a member of the Scientific Society of the Silicate Industry from 1973. He was a founder of Magyar Kerámia Szövetség (Hungarian Ceramics Association), and was its president between 2002 and 2004. Besides these, he was also a member of the European Ceramic Society.

During his career, he received several university, professional and national awards, including the “Szilikátiparért Emlékérem” (Medal for the Silicate Industry) in 1998, then in 2006 the “Kitüntetés a magyar iparért és gazdaságért végzett tevékenységért” (Medal for the Work Performed for the Hungarian Industry and Economy).

A. László Gömze was the President of the Editorial Board of Építőanyag – Journal of Silicate Based and Composite Materials published by SZTE from 2005 until his death. He published his first article in the magazine in 1974, titled “A képlékeny agyag aprításának matematikai elemzése” (The Mathematical Analysis of Chopping Moldable Clay), which was followed by over 60 articles published by him together with his co-authors. As a result of his organizational work, several foreign authors also published articles in the magazine, and our magazine became an internationally referenced scientific magazine while he was editor.

Few people know, but in 1983 He and his family introduced the Black Russian Terrier dog breed to Hungary, and the breed became widespread in Western-Europe partly from here.

With his death we have lost an exceptionally versatile, good-hearted, humane colleague in him, who have always placed great emphasis on the development of the younger generation.

His family, friends and colleagues said their final goodbyes to Him on February 11, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. in the Mindszenti cemetery in Miskolc.

We respectfully say our farewell to A. László Gömze. May he rest in peace!