HIGHLIGHTS ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | NOVEMBER 2026 62 IN MEMORIAM Thomas Rose, an assistant professor of materials science in Boston, died on September 2 due to injuries sustained in a bicycle accident. He was 37. An archaeometallurgist who joined the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in January, Rose was still setting up his lab. According to his colleagues in the department of materials science, he was looking forward to teaching his first graduate class at MIT this fall, Materials in Ancient Societies Il. The course had one of the largest enrollments in recent memory because students wanted to take the class with Rose. Born in Berlin, Rose earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Goethe University Frankfurt. In 2023, he completed his Ph.D. in archaeology through a joint doctoral program at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Sapienza Università di Roma. His doctoral research focused on the emergence of copper pyrotechnology in Western Asia. Before joining MIT, Rose researched in Germany at Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum and Goethe University Frankfurt. His work blending archaeology, geochemistry, and materials science made him a valuable asset to the materials science department. At MIT, Rose served as a faculty member in the Center for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnology. He was set to be the successor to a rich history of pioneering professors at MIT. Rose was an active member of ASM’s Archaeometallurgy Technical Committee and the ASM Boston Chapter. Kenneth B. “Ken” Tator, 84, of Pittsburgh, and Boca Raton, Florida, passed away on May 7. He was an internationally recognized expert in protective coatings, corrosion control, and materials performance. Tator earned his undergraduate degree from Lafayette College and his MBA from Columbia University. He served as a lieutenant in the United States Navy from 1963 to 1966, including service as a naval gunfire liaison officer with the U.S. Marine Corps. Upon the passing of his father, Tator assumed leadership of KTA-Tator Inc. Founded in 1949 in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, the company was already an established technical firm when the 28-year-old younger Tator stepped into the responsibility of leading that legacy. Over a 45-year career, serving as president, CEO, and chairman of the board, he helped transform KTA-Tator Inc. into an internationally recognized engineering, inspection, consulting, and testing firm with more than 350 employees. Tator was a registered professional engineer in California, Florida, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. He was a NACE corrosion specialist, a NACE certified coatings inspector Level 3 by peer review, and an SSPC certified protective coatings specialist. Tator was the volume editor of ASM Handbook, Volume 5B: Protective Organic Coatings and contributed articles to several other ASM International publications going back decades. After retiring in 2008, Tator continued consulting, advising, writing, and remaining professionally active into his later years. Tator was a member of the ASM Pittsburgh Chapter. Word has been received at ASM Headquarters of the death of Life Member Dr. Alfred Randak, FASM, of Bochum, Germany. Rose Tator IN MEMORIAM
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTYyMzk3NQ==