- Email: [email protected]
Professor Aiyun Zhang 1934–2006
International Journal of Coal Geology 67 (2006) 213 www.elsevier.com/locate/ijcoalgeo
Obituary
Professor Aiyun Zhang 1934–2006
Professor Aiyun Zhang passed away at the age of 72 in the morning of 5 March 2006 from cerebral hemorrhage. Her funeral at the Babaoshan Memorial Park in Beijing on 11 March was attended by many representatives from all around P.R. China. Professor Aiyun Zhang's professional career spanned nearly fifty years. Since graduation from the Beijing College of Geosciences in 1956, she devoted all her lifetime to teaching and research in organic geochemistry and coal geology at China University of Geosciences (Beijing) (CUGB). It is a great personal privilege for me, tinged still with sorrow, to have been approached to write this obituary notice. May I acknowledge at the outset how well we had been helped by Professor Zhang. We all benefited from her support and constructive suggestions. For example, in addition to the students at CUGB, Professor Zhang instructed many doctoral and master students from China University of Mining and Technology and other research
doi:10.1016/j.coal.2006.03.002
institutes. There are many vivid images of her kind smiles, unusual patience, and earnest instructions for students that seem to just happened yesterday which are appearing in our minds. Professor Zhang was indeed a highly respected geologist in China and her many colleagues will miss her. Professor Zhang was an undemonstrative, but, nevertheless, incisive professor, which I shall remember her most. She had tremendous optimism and passion, and her profound knowledge on coal and oil and gas geology deeply impressed us. She had many publications and made many great scientific contributions in the geochemistry of marine black shale, coal geology, and oil and gas geochemistry, as well as in the research of vertebrate and tunicata fossils. Her outstanding contribution to the new type of vanadium ore deposit was honored in the Chinese National Scientific Conference in 1978, and to the geochemistry of black shale in southern China was most timely and notable. Her knowledge on coal geochemistry was always helpful and stimulating. I recall many discussions with her on the subjects relating to petrology, geochemistry and mineralogy of coal. She was a fervent advocate for studying toxic and/or valuable elements in coals for human health and economic reasons. Professor Zhang was a fellow of the Geological Society of America (GSA) and she had reviewed many proposals for the GSA. She was a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Coal Geology since 2001. Her international connection and her great knowledge in organic geochemistry and coal geology was a valuable asset not only to the International Journal of Coal Geology, but also to many fellow scientists. While mourning her death we deeply miss her scholarship and personality. Shifeng Dai China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing, China E-mail address: [email protected].
Obituary
Professor Aiyun Zhang 1934–2006
Professor Aiyun Zhang passed away at the age of 72 in the morning of 5 March 2006 from cerebral hemorrhage. Her funeral at the Babaoshan Memorial Park in Beijing on 11 March was attended by many representatives from all around P.R. China. Professor Aiyun Zhang's professional career spanned nearly fifty years. Since graduation from the Beijing College of Geosciences in 1956, she devoted all her lifetime to teaching and research in organic geochemistry and coal geology at China University of Geosciences (Beijing) (CUGB). It is a great personal privilege for me, tinged still with sorrow, to have been approached to write this obituary notice. May I acknowledge at the outset how well we had been helped by Professor Zhang. We all benefited from her support and constructive suggestions. For example, in addition to the students at CUGB, Professor Zhang instructed many doctoral and master students from China University of Mining and Technology and other research
doi:10.1016/j.coal.2006.03.002
institutes. There are many vivid images of her kind smiles, unusual patience, and earnest instructions for students that seem to just happened yesterday which are appearing in our minds. Professor Zhang was indeed a highly respected geologist in China and her many colleagues will miss her. Professor Zhang was an undemonstrative, but, nevertheless, incisive professor, which I shall remember her most. She had tremendous optimism and passion, and her profound knowledge on coal and oil and gas geology deeply impressed us. She had many publications and made many great scientific contributions in the geochemistry of marine black shale, coal geology, and oil and gas geochemistry, as well as in the research of vertebrate and tunicata fossils. Her outstanding contribution to the new type of vanadium ore deposit was honored in the Chinese National Scientific Conference in 1978, and to the geochemistry of black shale in southern China was most timely and notable. Her knowledge on coal geochemistry was always helpful and stimulating. I recall many discussions with her on the subjects relating to petrology, geochemistry and mineralogy of coal. She was a fervent advocate for studying toxic and/or valuable elements in coals for human health and economic reasons. Professor Zhang was a fellow of the Geological Society of America (GSA) and she had reviewed many proposals for the GSA. She was a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Coal Geology since 2001. Her international connection and her great knowledge in organic geochemistry and coal geology was a valuable asset not only to the International Journal of Coal Geology, but also to many fellow scientists. While mourning her death we deeply miss her scholarship and personality. Shifeng Dai China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing, China E-mail address: [email protected].