Tripa IGRSS 2007.indd - congress.cimne.com - UPC

IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium - IGARSS Barcelona 2007
Tuesday Afternoon
Tuesday Afternoon (14:20 - 18:00)
Room: 121
Tu03AF. Special Session Celebrating the Contributions to
Remote Sensing Science of Tanos Mikhaël Elfouhaily
Co-Chairs: Donald R Thompson , Joel T. Johnson
Tanos "Tony" Elfouhaily, our friend and colleague, passed away on
the evening of July 26, 2006 at Doctors' Hospital in Miami Florida.
Tony was interested in a broad range of scientific topics and
published widely in numerous journals. His many contributions to the
field of ocean remote sensing during his brief career range from
theoretical aspects of microwave scattering physics and surface wave
hydrodynamics to the description of nonlinear statistical processes.
Tony's contributions have already had a profound influence on the
field.
Born in Kléa, Lebanon, on Oct. 20, 1968, Tony earned his
Baccalauréat C from the Sacré-Coeur school (Lebanon) in physics and
general sciences. He continued his education studying ocean remote
sensing at IFREMER, Centre de Brest, and earned his PhD at the
University of Paris VII. From 1997-2000, Tony was a NASA postdoctoral
fellow and later a staff scientist in the Space Department at
the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. In 2000, he
moved to CNRS in Marseille where he remained until 2004 when he
joined the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science at
the University of Miami as an associate professor.
A sudden death like Tony's reminds us of the fragility of human life
and makes us reflect more deeply on how precious each life is. When
we lose such a special human being as Tony, we must honour his life
and shining example by attempting to live our own lives more fully
and generously. Because he gave so much of his mind to science and
so much of his attention to his family and friends, Tony's life is an
excellent example of what can be accomplished in a short span of
time if one focuses on one's work with an eagerness to understand
and a willingness to share and explore with others. It is clear that just
as Tony's numerous scientific contributions will be influential for many
years to come, his love for his family, his sincerity, good nature and
permanent smile will guide not only the lives of his young daughters
Lucie and Beatrice into adulthood, but will also the serve as a
standard for all who knew him.
We'll miss you Tony!
D. Thompson.
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Tuesday