Dr. Sabri Ergun

Dr. Sabri Ergun Madison, WI. Dr. Sabri Ergun, age 87, passed away on February 18, 2006. Dr. Ergun, widely recognized for his enthusiasm and many contributions in chemical engineering and solid state physics, is best known for the "Ergun Equation" that he derived in 1952 and is still widely used in chemical engineering processes. From this equation, the steel industry was able to easily double the production capacity of blast furnaces by briquetting ores. Born in Gerede, Turkey, on March 1, 1918, he came to the United States in 1943. He received B.S. and M.S. degrees in chemical engineering from Columbia University and a D.Sc. degree from the Technical University of Vienna in 1956. In 1948, Sabri and Dorothy Karns were married in Pittsburgh, PA. They were married for 55 years before Dorothy passed away in 2003. From 1948 to 1974, Sabri and his family lived in Pittsburgh, PA. During that time, Dr. Ergun served as a staff member of the Coal Research Laboratory at the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) and was employed by the U.S. Bureau of Mines as project coordinator of Solid State physics. In 1969, he accepted an invitation to serve as a visiting professor at the University of Karlsruhe in Germany. In 1974, Sabri and Dorothy settled in San Francisco, CA. For four years, Dr. Ergun worked at Bechtel Corporation as consultant for the technical direction and management of the Experimental Program for the Albany, Oregon Waste-to-Oil Process Development Facility. In 1977, Dr. Ergun joined the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) of the University of California where he was responsible for initiation and management of programs on the production of synthetic fuels from coals and biomass until he retired in 1980. In 1999, Sabri and Dorothy moved to Madison, WI. Sabri is survived by three children, David (Cristina) Ergun, Robert Ergun and James (MaryLou) Ergun, and six grandchildren, Kaitlin, Alyssa, Davin, Tolga, Alletta, and Sabrina. He was preceded in death by his wife, and his parents. A Memorial Service will be held at Oakwood Village West Lutheran Home, 6201 Mineral Point Road, Madison, on Thursday, February 23 from 3:00 to 5:00 pm. GUNDERSON WEST FUNERAL & CREMATION CENTERS 7435 University Avenue (608) 831-6761 www.gundersonfh.com