AMP_04_May_June_2021_Digital_Edition

HIGHL IGHTS A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | M A Y / J U N E 2 0 2 1 7 7 IN MEMORIAM Prem Kumar Aurora, past trustee of ASM International (2017-2020) and beloved leader from the India Chapter (Mumbai) passed away on March 10 at age 68 after a 12-day struggle with COVID-19. An active member of ASM International since 1986, he quickly became a pillar of ASM in India. While serving on the ASM board, he was appointed vice chair of the International Task Force. Under his leadership and with board support, the Indian Task Force was initiated. Aurora received his bachelor’s degree fromMumbai University in 1975 and completed his master of science degree at Kansas State University in 1978. His master’s project was on vibrations of anisotropic plates, which was published in the Journal of Vibrations in 1978-1979. Aurora started his career as a design engineer at Chemtron Fire Systems in Monee, Illinois, and was there for two and a half years before joining his family business of manufacturing heat treatment furnaces in 1981. During his 36 years in the industry, Aurora was involved with major projects at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Air India, Defence Metallurgical Research Labs, Midhani, IIT, ISRO, Tech Institutes, and others. Projects involved the design and manufacture of a wide range of furnaces, from laboratory models to computerized SCADA production furnaces. Aurora was actively involved as a convenor and organizing secretary at vari- ous conferences and exhibitions in India to present the latest inmaterials science and technology to industry participants. These events include heat treat shows, materials engineering technology, melting metallurgy and technology, transpor- tation materials, microstructure analysis of failure investigation of industries, and international space enabling materials and processes. Aurora also served as chairman of three national institutes—the Indian Institute of Metals, The Institute of Indian Foundrymen, and ASM International India Chapter and India National Council. See also page 74 in this issue of AM&P for more remembrances of Prem Aurora. John Herbert Buckingham of Christ Church, New Zealand, died on February 21 at the age of 84. He was the chief defense scientist of New Zealand and director of the country’s Defense Technology Agency. He was an active supporter of the value of materials science and engineer- ing to defense technologies, and championed the need for membership in global materials soci- eties. In 2003, Buckingham received the ASM Distinguished Life Member Award. During the same year, he was appointed as a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. He chaired several gov- ernmental councils including the Testing Laboratory Registration Council and the Waimakariri Health Advisory Group of New Zealand. Buckingham received the coveted Asia/Pacific Metrology Programme Prize for his work on improving measurement standards and facilities around the Asia/Pacific region. He also represented the New Zealand Secretariat as its Chief Defense Prin- cipal to coordinate research collaboration with the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia. During this period, he initiated several collaborative research projects, including one with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and New Zealand’s Institute of Geological and Nuclear Science to explore New Zealand’s offshore methane hydrate deposits. George M. Goodrich, 80, of Branch, Michigan, died on April 20. He received his B.S. and M.S. in metallurgical engineering from Michigan Technological University in 1963 and 1965, respec- tively. Goodrich worked for eight years at General Motors Research Laboratories, where he devel- oped a process for horizontally continuously casting steel bars. In 1972, he joined the staff at the American Foundry Society (AFS), where he worked on programming for Metalcasting Con- gress and served as a liaison for the cast iron committees before becoming managing director of the Cast Metals Institute in 1977. His career included jobs at Taussig and Associates/Bodycote Taussig, Stork Climax Research Services, and Professional Metallurgical Services, a consulting firm he founded in 1998. Highly active in AFS, Goodrich chaired both the Steel Division and Cast Iron Division over the years. A frequent author of technical papers for the metalcasting indus- try, he received the CMI Director’s Award, AFS Service Citation, AFS Award of Scientific Merit, Hoyt Memorial Lecturer at Metalcasting Congress, and was the 2008 recipient of the Whiting Gold Medal. He authored several AFS books including Iron Castings Engineering Handbook and Casting Defects Handbook: Iron & Steel. Goodrich was also a contributing author for ASM Handbook, Volume 11A, Analysis and Prevention of Component and Equipment Failures, to be released later this year. IN MEMORIAM Aurora Buckingham Goodrich