Catching up with Engin ?zberk, Historical Metallurgy Committee chair

Engin ?zberk has a message for everyone who wished him best of luck on his new appointment as MetSoc Historical Metallurgy chair. Read on to learn more about our longstanding volunteer.

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Can you tell us a bit about?yourself and your career?

I completed my undergraduate studies at Middle East Technical University in metallurgical engineering in Ankara, Turkey, in 1972. I was determined to go abroad for graduate studies. After working for one year at Turkish?mining and metallurgical conglomerate Etibank, I arrived in Canada on Christmas Day of 1973. I had a plan: to obtain a Master of Engineering degree in two years and work for three years, get rich and go back to Turkey! I completed two graduate degrees and I am still trying to get rich! So I am still in Canada.

My first job was at the Noranda Research Center in Pointe Claire, Quebec (which no longer exists). While working, I registered for the Post Graduate Diploma in Management program at McGill University. In 1976, I became a full-time graduate student at McGill. I completed the Post Graduate Diploma in Management degree in 1978 and the Master of Metallurgical Engineering degree in 1979.

Before finishing my thesis work, I started working at SNC in Montreal in 1979. I moved to Sherritt in 1988 in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. In 1997, I joined Cameco in Port Hope, Ontario. I became VP Innovation and Technology Development in 2007, and moved to Saskatoon. Due to the nuclear industry downturn, I was asked to retire in 2013. Immediately, I became Executive Director and Senior Technical Advisor of International Minerals Innovation Institute in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. In 2016, I started doing senior management consulting contracts. I completed contracts as special advisor to the CEO and Scientific Director of Mitacs and VP Research of University of Saskatchewan, both ended in 2019.

How is consulting treating you?

I enjoy consulting work; most of my professional life involved consulting. Starting at SNC, and continuing at Sherritt and Cameco for both internal and external clients and after retirement. I never advertised. It was always through friends and contacts.

Here is a message to young professionals: Networking and building a good name for yourself always helps. Deliver on time and respond to people. It helps! Being an active member of MetSoc facilitates networking and getting to know people.

Tell us about the first time you attended COM. What was different compared to today, and what stands out the most?

I was a young engineer working at Noranda Research Center. COM was being held in Montreal. Noranda used to encourage young professionals to get involved in CIM activities. I was encouraged to attend the conference, and I was impressed, overwhelmed with the number of people and feeling somewhat timid. I did not know anybody.

That was about 45 years ago. Hard to compare with the conferences of recent years.

You have volunteered for MetSoc several times over the years, involved with base metals, light metals, Uranium, and others. What keeps you coming back?

I have been involved in MetSoc activities since 1977. I joined the Non-Ferrous Pyrometallurgy Section executive committee and served as its chair. While doing that I observed that we did not have a light metals section at MetSoc. I formed the Light Metals Section and I served as the chair as well.

I was the president of MetSoc from 1991-92. My list of services and positions held is rather long, not only at MetSoc, but also at CIM, TMS, Canadian Nuclear Society, Canada Mining Innovation Council, and International Mineral Innovation Institute. I enjoy being active and serving professional societies. Through these activities, I gained many friends, and I learned from them. I learn while carrying out these activities. When I feel like I contributed to the teams’ activities I am working with, I feel good. Certainly, I did all these without impacting on my day job. I also believe that my activities helped the jobs I was doing for the companies I worked for.

What does the role of historical chair mean to you?

I have always been very interested in the Historical Metallurgy standing committee activities. After I was asked to become the chair of the Historical Metallurgy standing committee, I learned that it was formed by Dr. Peter Tarasoff. As mentioned earlier, my first job in Canada was at the Noranda Research Center. Peter was one of our senior leaders at the time. I always respected him. I hope I can make him proud.

This is a challenging position to take on, after the recent leaders like Sam [Marcuson] and Erin [Bobicki]. I hope I can make them proud as well. I am also humbled with the calls and emails I started receiving since the news got out that I am becoming the Chair of the Historical Metallurgy Standing Committee. I especially appreciated the ideas being proposed and support being offered.

I believe in collective wisdom. I hope working together we can continue making the Historical Metallurgy interesting, informative and enhance the inventory of CIM-MetSoc scientific and engineering knowledge.

What should MetSoc preserve out of all its traditional?elements? Conversely, is there any aspect of the Society that you feel should be modernized?

I believe every society must renew itself every five to seven years. As we know, the speed of progress in science and technology is very fast, along with the management and administration systems. Progress will always bring changes and we must keep up with the progress. The fittest always survive!

However, while we are keeping up with the changes, we must know our history well because there is always knowledge that will help with the challenges of present. ?

The Historical Metallurgy Committee completed numerous projects lately, with free books by Drs Warrian and?Weidenhammer. Any sneak peeks into what's next, or how you hope to keep up the impressive momentum?

We are starting to work on several ideas, let’s keep the suspense until we define them better. Soon we will brief the MetSoc community and ask for their support for specific activities. My goal is to make historical metallurgy more interesting to young engineers, scientists and students.

Anything else to add for our readers?

Let’s work all together and make MetSoc better than ever. MetSoc has always been a very strong and active organization, with very high credibility and respect nationally and internationally, thanks to the hard work of many volunteers. We must continue working hard and enhance our strengths. I believe knowing our history well and engaging young engineers, scientists and students will support that effort. Collective wisdom will surely?accomplish?it.

Learn more about the Historical Metallurgy Committee

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