Prof. Marija Kosec head of Electronic Ceramics Department of Jozef Stefan Institute, died Dec. 24, 2012.
Kosec received her BS and MD degrees in chemical technology and PhD Degree in chemistry from University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, in 1970 to 1982.
Her research interest was in synthesis and characterization of electronic ceramics particularly piezoelectrics and ferroelectrics. Her contribution to science was in understanding phenomena of ceramic processing of practically important multicomponent systems. Here recent work concerned understanding of synthesis of ferroelectric thin films where she explained complicated reactions during solution synthesis and how to control these reactions. Practical results are significantly lower processing temperature.
Kosec also had been working on lead-free piezoelectrics, bulk, thick, and thin films. She tried to relate research in materials to their application.
As of 2009, she had authored and coauthored over 150 scientific journal papers and five articles in monographs. She gave 46 invited talks on international conferences among them three plenary and 33 invited talks on institutions. She is an editor or coeditor 14 conference proceedings. She has eight patents and more than 100 technical reports.
Kosec was a member of various ceramic societies but also a permanent member of IEEE Ferroelectric Committee, a senior member of IEEE and a member of European Liaison Committee, IMAPS Europe. She was past president of MIDEM (Society for Microelectronics, Devices and Materials of Slovenia) and president of Ceramic Session at the Slovenian Chemical Society.
Kosec also was a visiting professor at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, visiting professor at the University of Shizuoka, Hamamatsu, head of the Center of Excellence: Materials for next-generation electronics and other emerging technologies; since 2009, Kosec has led the Centre of Excellence NAMASTE: advanced materials with the technologies of the future.
In 2003, Kosec received the award named Ambassador of Science of the Republic of Slovenia in 2004, and she became a member of World Academy of Ceramics in 2006 when she received the highest national award Zois Prize for extraordinary achievements in science. She is a past president of Slovenian Academy of Engineering Sciences.
Kosec joined The American Ceramic Society in 1992 and was affiliated with the Society’s Basic Science Division.