The Name of Prof. Dr. Aral I. Okay Lives On at the ITU Eurasia Institute of Earth Sciences
A meaningful decision has been taken in memory of Prof. Dr. Aral Okay (1953–2023), the founding director of the ITU Eurasia Institute of Earth Sciences and a distinguished scientist who made significant contributions to the international recognition of Turkish geology. By a resolution of the University Senate dated 26 September 2025, the Mineral Separation and Preparation Laboratory, which has served the Institute for many years, has officially been renamed the “Prof. Dr. Aral I. Okay Mineral Separation and Preparation Laboratory.”
Prof. Dr. Aral Okay was a leading figure in shaping the development of Earth sciences in Türkiye through his scientific productivity, rigorous research approach, and the many students he trained throughout his career. His vision during the establishment of the Institute and his contributions to building its research infrastructure are regarded as foundational pillars of modern Earth sciences research at ITU.
With its comprehensive instrumentation, the laboratory has long provided researchers with facilities for mineral separation and preparation required for various geochronological studies, as well as sample preparation for geochemical analyses. The institutional legacy of Prof. Dr. Aral Okay continues to live on through the scientific work carried out within the Institute.
Below is an assessment by Prof. Dr. Nilgün Okay, who closely shared Prof. Dr. Aral I. Okay’s scientific journey and collaborated with him for many years:
“Through his research, Prof. Dr. Aral Okay (1953–2023) pioneered the international recognition of Turkish geology. Known for the importance he placed on fieldwork, he set an example for future generations through his integrated approach that combined geological observations, laboratory studies, and the development of models to explain complex tectonic structures.
The ITU Eurasia Institute of Earth Sciences, of which he was the founding director, has evolved into a center of internationally recognized research. He brought to our university and to our country the Mineral Separation and Preparation Laboratory, which has become an exemplary infrastructure shaping Earth sciences and fostering scientific productivity. Naming the laboratory he founded after him, as a source of pride for ITU, is a meaningful way to acknowledge his contributions to science.”
Prof. Dr. Nilgün Okay"
The value Prof. Dr. Aral Okay added to Earth sciences and the scientific culture he helped establish will continue to be carried forward by new generations of researchers in the laboratory that now bears his name. As an Institute, we commemorate him with respect, gratitude, and deep appreciation.
