MARKUS ZAHN

1946 - 2022

ZAHN, Markus Markus Zahn, Professor Emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Markus Zahn, the emeritus Massachusetts Institute of Technology Thomas and Gerd Professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, died at 75 years of age on March 13, 2022. Markus was born on December 3,1946 in Bergen Belsen, Germany, the son of Maria (Fischer) and Irving Zahn, the sole survivors of their respective families during the Holocaust. The family immigrated to the UniteFd States in 1949 and settled in New York City. Markus met his future wife Linda Jasen when they were both attending Jr. High School in New York. They were reunited in their junior year of college and were married in June1969. As a teen, Markus attended the Bronx High School of Science and graduated from Lakewood High School in New Jersey. Markus received a Bachelor's of Science, Engineering degree, Master's degree and culminating in a Doctor of Science degree (DSc) in 1970 from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He spend eight years as a professor at the University of Florida, returning to MIT in 1980. He and Linda settled in Lexington, Massachusetts where they raised four children and resided for close to 40 years. Markus' research in electrodynamics encompassed his broad interests and spanned numerous fields ranging from the theoretical to the practical; including applying magnetic process for oil clean up and advancing battery technology. His love of math was used to explore how electricity moved through different mediums and he wrote a seminal textbook on the subject. Having worked through the 6A internship program while a student at MIT, in later years he directed the program and developed a tuition scholarship award. Garnering recognition for his contributions to the field of electrical engineering he became a fellow of the IEEE in 1993 and was awarded the Paris Sciences Scholar ESPCI Medal in 2000. Markus was well regarded by his colleagues and students winning numerous advising awards. At home, he collected stamps and enjoyed bicycling, baseball, good food and time with his family. Markus and Linda shared a love of travel and were able to visit much of the world. However, Markus never forgot how lucky he was to have migrated to and become a citizen of the U.S. Markus is survived by Linda, his wife of 52 years; his daughter Laura Zahn (Alex Richter); his son Daniel Zahn (Marie O'Neill); his son Jeffrey Zahn (Lisa Muchnicki), and his daughter Amy Terrell (David Terrell). He leaves seven grandchildren, Sophia Zahn, Audrey Zahn, Nicholas Zahn, Elliot Richter, Juliana Zahn, Ryan Terrell, and Logan Terrell; and his niece Emily Halpern; and nephew Simon Halpern. Markus will be sorely missed by all who loved him. Donations honoring Markus Zahn can be made to the Graduate Student Scholarship Fund, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. UCI School of Medicine 252 Irvine Hall, Irvine, CA 92697-3950

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