Vladimir Kogan

Vladimir Kogan passed away on February 3, 2025 at the age of 90 with his wife and son at his side.
His life was a testament to his resilience, intellectual curiosity, and a love for the natural world and human creativity.
Born in 1934 in the Soviet Union, Vladimir's youth was shaped by war, displacement, and hardship. At just seven years old, he and his family fled the Nazi invasion on a journey of survival that took them thousands of miles across Russia. After returning to a devastated home, he persevered through famine, loss, and systemic antisemitism to excel academically and pursue his passion for physics.
Denied entry to Moscow's elite institutions, he taught high school physics before starting a PhD that he abandoned just before defending his dissertation, to avoid being assigned to teach in a remote location. Embittered by the cruel regime, he fought back by participating in the self-publication of banned literature, and in 1972 at age 38, was given permission to leave Russia.
In Israel he started a PhD anew, found love, and married Esther. Postdoctoral studies took him to Stuttgart, Germany, where his son Uri was born, and ultimately, in 1980, to Ames, Iowa where he found a permanent research position and a home for 45 years. Throughout his career, he made significant contributions to the field of superconductivity, earning recognition for his work, including a prize named for the Nobel laureate who had failed him in an exam 63 years earlier.
Beyond physics, Vladimir's life was one of quiet adventure. He hiked through the mountains of the Caucasus, across the deserts of Israel, and under the open skies of the American West. He trekked and rafted through Siberian forests. He found beauty in the grandeur of nature, the insights of literary masters and historians, and the emotion of symphonies and concerts. Though reserved, his kindness, intellect, and humor shone through to those who knew him best. He valued ideas over status, simplicity over excess, and integrity above all.
A distinguished physicist for over 70 years, Vladimir is survived by his wife of 48 years, Esther Gen-Kogan, his son Uri for 45, and his two grandchildren, Abe and Simon, who carry forward his love of learning, his appreciation for nature, and his belief in the power of resilience. Of his own life, he wrote, "I was like a wood chip in a stormy sea. Though badly beaten, I survived many storms."
His story-of hardship, perseverance, and discovery-will endure, as will the many friendships and scientific contributions he left behind.
A Celebration of Life is planned for February 18 at the ISU Memorial Union. Please contact the family for details.
Vladimir overcame many obstacles over decades from "a state that took from people the right to a dream." In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to any of the charities below that honor his belief that everyone has a right to have and pursue their dream: One Acre Fund (https://oneacrefund.org/), American Jewish World Service (https://ajws.org/), Planned Parenthood (https://www.plannedparenthood.org/), or Feeding America (https://www.feedingamerica.org/).