Stuart R. Pottasch

Netherlands

1932-2018


Obituary:

Dear colleagues,

Following a long illness, Professor Stuart Pottasch died in Groningen on 4 April 2018. Stuart was Professor Emeritus at the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute of the University of Groningen, where he had been a professor since 1963. Stuart served as chairman of the Department of Astronomy in Groningen from 1969 until 1982, and with the coming of the space research group (SRON) he oversaw a major expansion of the research effort in astronomy during his tenure as chairman. Stuart was also the founding editor-in-chief of Astronomy & Astrophysics, today’s premier European astronomy journal.

Stuart supervised many students. His style of supervision was relaxed; he did not closely monitor or direct the research of students but encouraged a great deal of independence. This style agreed with some and not with others, but this was Stuart. To those meeting him for the first time, he often seemed somewhat introvert and remote but, in fact, being underestimated was his management tactic, as a number of colleagues later discovered.

Despite his illness, Stuart came to the institute almost on a daily basis, working in his office and enjoying lunch in the sun in the coffee corner. His quiet presence will be missed at the institute.

In this difficult time, our hearts go out to Stuart’s family and to everyone around him.

Yours sincerely,
Scott Trager

See also: https://www.rug.nl/research/kapteyn/news/2018/obituarypottasch.pdf

Past affiliation(s) within the IAU

  • Past Organizing Committee Member of Commission 34 Interstellar Matter (1994-1997)
  • Past Organizing Committee Member of Commission 34 Interstellar Matter (1991-1994)
  • Past Member of Division G Stars and Stellar Physics (until 2018)
  • Past Member of Division H Interstellar Matter and Local Universe (until 2018)
  • Past Member of Commission G3 Stellar Evolution (2015-2018)
  • Past Member of Inter-Division G-H Commission Planetary Nebulae (2015-2018)
  • Past Member of Commission 34 Interstellar Matter (until 2015)
  • Past Member of Commission 36 Theory of Stellar Atmospheres (until 2015)
  • Past Member of Division IV Stars (until 2012)
  • Past Member of Division VI Interstellar Matter (until 2012)

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