The Robert College community mourns the passing of Prof. Dr. Salim Erol Uluğ, who passed away peacefully at his home in Istanbul on February 8, 2026, with his wife of 61 years and one of his daughters by his side.
Born in Ankara, he completed his secondary education at TED Ankara College before graduating from Robert College’s Department of Civil Engineering in 1954. He went on to earn his master’s degree from Stanford University and his doctorate in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Imperial College London in 1967. Prof. Ulug began his career in California and, upon returning to Türkiye, contributed to the design and implementation of reinforced concrete structures. In 1962, he joined the faculty of Middle East Technical University (METU). In 1973, he was entrusted with establishing the Department of Environmental Engineering, serving as its founding head and playing a key role in its development. He also contributed to TÜBİTAK’s Environmental Research Group. Following his retirement from METU, he continued teaching and later founded the Civil Engineering Department at Atılım University, where he served as founding head until 2007.
Fluent in English and German, Prof. Uluğ remained active as a consultant, researcher, and mentor, contributing to international projects, supervising numerous theses, and publishing widely. His work was recognized with multiple awards in science and education. He will be remembered for his integrity, quiet strength, and kindness, as well as his devotion to his family.
