Prof. Elemer M. Lang
Prof. Elemer M. Lang
December 24, 1947 – August 16, 2019
It is with deep sadness that we report the demise of Dr. Elemer Lang, 71, Professor Emeritus and Doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He first practiced as a faculty of wood engineering in Sopron, Hungary, then spent an extended period in the USA as a lecturer and researcher. At the end of his career, he returned to Hungary, and kept working on the advancement of his field even in retirement.
Elemer M. Lang was born in Győr, Hungary in 1947. He graduated from the Révay Miklós High School in 1966. After two years of compulsory military service and two years of work, he enrolled at the University of Forestry and Wood Sciences, College of Wood Sciences in Sopron, Hungary. He graduated with an MS in Wood Engineering in 1975 and joined the faculty of the Institute of Product Development and Technology, formerly the Department of Furniture and Joinery Production, of his Alma Mater in the following year.
To complement his education, in 1989 he enrolled as a graduate student at the Department of Wood Science and Forest Products, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, U.S.A. He received his Ph.D. in Wood Science in 1993.
After two years of Post-doctoral work at the Division of Forestry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, U.S.A., he returned to Sopron and assumed the position of an associate professor at the University of Sopron. In 1996 he was invited by the West Virginia University, Division of Forestry for a faculty position to teach wood mechanics and wood composites and conduct research in the program of Wood Science and Technology. After five years of service, he received his tenure and was promoted to the rank of associate professor.
Professor Lang made significant contributions in the field of wood science and engineering. He received several honors and awards for his body of work, mostly in the area of wood processing, wood mechanics and wood based composites. In addition to his numerous publications, he mentored many junior researchers and provided graduate and postgraduate study opportunities for several students and graduates.
Professor Lang retired from his faculty position at the West Virginia University in 2008 and was awarded the Associate Professor Emeritus status at the Division of Forestry and Natural Resources.
Since 2008, Dr. Lang had been battling serious health issues. Thanks to his perseverance and strong will to live, he managed to recover repeatedly, and had remained active and contributed to the scientific achievements of the University of Sopron until the end of his life. His death is a great loss for the University of Sopron as well as for the entire scientific community and the Hungarian wood industries.
Prof. Lang is survived by his beloved wife Marietta and son Aurel and will be missed by his many friends and colleagues in Hungary and America. His final farewell will take place at 3 pm on Wednesday, September 4, 2019, at the St. Michael’s Cemetery in Sopron, Hungary.