SIMON MIDDELHOEK (1931-2020)
Professor Simon Middelhoek was born in
Rotterdam, The Netherlands, in 1931. After working for IBM in the US and
Switzerland he moved to Delft University of Technology in 1969 as a young
professor. He soon began having an influence with his push for more research
and more publications, and building his group into an internationally renowned
research group on sensors. In 1981 he co-founded the first Transducers, as part
of the MRS conference, in Boston and organised the first full transducers
conference in Delft in 1983. At that time, he realised the need for sensor
researchers to publish papers in a dedicated journal and so founded Sensors and
Actuators in 1982, which grew into a major international journal. In 1987 he
realised the need for a European platform for sensors so co-founded
Eurosensors. He also founded the DIMES institute in Delft and acquired major
government funding to build a new modern cleanroom. He was an IEEE life fellow,
was awarded an honorary doctorate by ETH Zurich and was a member of the Royal
Netherlands Academy of Science. Closer to home, he was a teacher and a mentor
to countless young scientists. His inspiration can still be felt by researchers
and managers around the globe. Simon retired in 1996 but remained active as an
advisor and mentor for another 5 years. He sadly passed away on 8th January
2020. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends and colleagues, but all
those who he mentored also saw him as family, as he did them.
Paddy French, Lina Sarro and Han Huijsing