ALUMNI NEWS
Şiar Yalçın RC 43
A very colorful and energetic RC graduate,
Şiar Yalçın is a retired judge and public
prosecutor. B o r n in istanbul, he finished the
English High S c h o o l for Boys before entering RC.
He studied law in istanbul and Paris. He is not
only fascinated by law but also literature and
languages, arts and sports, history and bridge
and has translated 50 plus books on various
subjects. He lived in Paris for six years and has
traveled all over Europe.
Yalçın can be contacted at
siaryalcin@hotmail.com
Peter Engelmann RC Eng 44
Peter E n g e l m a n n and his wife J u d y visited istanbul in May 2 0 0 6 and had a c h a n c e to catch up with Turkey ,
the E n g i n e e r i n g D e p a r t m e n t on the Boğaziçi University Bebek c a m p u s and the present RC at Arnavutköy.
After RC, Peter E n g e l m a n n headed for graduate study at M.I.T. S o o n after his arrival there , he was drafted
and sent to G e r m a n y to join the o c c u p a t i o n forces. After being d i s c h a r g e d , he c o m p l e t e d his studies under
the G.I. Bill, and spent 17 years working as a civil e n g i n e e r in designing industrial and transportation
projects with consulting firms in New York. He worked for the U.S. D e p a r t m e n t of C o m m e r c e on the
N o r t h e a s t C o r r i d o r Study (Washington-Boston) in 1963 and 1964.
Peter m o v e d to the Washington area in 1964 and joined the staff of the World Bank. During 20 years with
that o r g a n i z a t i o n he held various positions and traveled widely in A f r i c a , A s i a , and Latin A m e r i c a , assisting
in the planning and financing of d e v e l o p m e n t projects. After retiring in 1984, he f o r m e d a small consulting
firm with six f o r m e r colleagues and c o n t i n u e d providing advisory s e r v i c e s on preinvestment work for urban
and t r a n s p o r t a t i o n infrastructure projects in Latin A m e r i c a and the C a r i b b e a n until 1999. He is now fully
retired, painting g e o m e t r i c abstracts in oil and writing his story for his two children and four g r a n d c h i l d r e n .
E n g e l m a n n had not been back to istanbul since his graduation from RC so it was a real pleasure to have
him tour both c a m p u s e s . By s h e e r c o i n c i d e n c e the Class of 44 was having one of their regular reunion
lunches, this time at Bizim Tepe, on May 5. P e t e r and J u d y , met with f o r m e r c l a s s m a t e s and caught up
with the past 62 years, if that is at all possible within the space of 2 hours!
M.Jack Ohanian RC Eng 56
Dr. O h a n i a n received his B a c h e l o r of S c i e n c e in Electrical E n g i n e e r i n g degree m a g n a c u m
laude in 1956 from Robert College in Istanbul, Turkey and his Master of Electrical Engineering
and Ph.D. in Nuclear S c i e n c e and Engineering degrees from R e n s s e l a e r P o l y t e c h n i c Institute in
1960 and 1963, respectively.
He is P r o f e s s o r E m e r i t u s of Nuclear & Radiological Engineering at the University of Florida
having retired on J u l y 1, 2001. During the period J u l y 1, 1999 to J u n e 3 0 , 2001, he was the
Interim Dean of Engineering at the University. A n d during August 1, 1998 - J u n e 3 0 , 1999, he
was the University's Interim Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate S c h o o l .
Prior to that he was the A s s o c i a t e Dean for Engineering Research and A d m i n i s t r a t i o n in the
College of E n g i n e e r i n g . He was the 1994 chair of the A m e r i c a n A s s o c i a t i o n of Engineering
Societies whose 28 m e m b e r societies represent the m a i n s t r e a m of U.S. engineering He was
the 1990-91 national president of the A m e r i c a n Nuclear Society. For the period 1990 to 2001
he chaired the f i v e - m e m b e r Board of Directors of the Florida Institute of P h o s p h a t e R e s e a r c h ,
an independent state research agency. He is a Fellow of the A m e r i c a n Nuclear Society and the
A m e r i c a n A s s o c i a t i o n for the A d v a n c e m e n t of S c i e n c e . In May 1994 his alma mater,
R e n s s e l a e r P o l y t e c h n i c Institute, selected him as the 1994 R e n s s e l e a r A l u m n i A s s o c i a t i o n
Fellow, recognizing him for his life's work, which set an example for R e n s s e l a e r men and
w o m e n to emulate. In O c t o b e r 1984 he received the Florida Blue Key Distinguished Faculty
Award in recognition of his a c h i e v e m e n t s in the areas of teaching, research and service.
He and his wife Sandy, have two daughters and three grandsons. They live in North Florida.
Mehmet Cemal Bolgil RC Eng 57
Bolgil, retired from his career in architecture and archeological reconstruction in
2 0 0 2 after suffering a stroke. He wrote to the RCQ from the UK where he lives and says
he travels when he can to Turkey and the U S A , visiting old friends along the way. He is
the father of Müfit and Mine. E m a i l : mcbolgil@ntlworld.com
Uğur Terzioğlu RC 54
After s e r v i n g as c h a i r m a n between 1993-1995 of T A B A / A m C h a m (Turkish-American
Business Association) Terzioğlu was once again re-elected c h a i r m a n in J u n e 2 0 0 6 . This
a s s o c i a t i o n , which has five branches in Turkey, acts to develop all kinds of relations between
the U S A and Turkey. Terzioğlu has been awarded the title of Chevalier by French President
Chirac and the award of Cavalieri di Republica Italiano by the Italian Parliament in 2 0 0 5 .
He is presently acting as General C o o r d i n a t o r of Astaldi C o n s t r u c t i o n . M a r r i e d to Cavidan
since 1973 they have a son Mustafa and two grand-children. Uğur Terzioğlu often enjoys a
g a m e of tennis and sailing.
Fügen Yücesoy Ok A C G 61
After A C G , she graduated from A n k a r a Political
S c i e n c e University in 1965 and has been a diplomat in the
Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs since then. Ok has been
an A m b a s s a d o r of Turkey for the last 15 years. First she
was in V i e n n a as P e r m a n e n t Representative to the UN and
other o r g a n i z a t i o n s in V i e n n a from 1992-1998; then she
represented her country as A m b a s s a d o r of Turkey to
D e n m a r k from 2 0 0 1 - 2 0 0 5 . Fügen Ok is the s e c o n d female
diplomat to rise to the rank of a m b a s s a d o r in Turkey and is
the first female a m b a s s a d o r from A C G . She retired from
the Foreign Ministry in February 2 0 0 6 and at present is
teaching in several universities in A n k a r a .
Ok has two sons, Tulug, 37, and Tansug, 29 years old.
Tulug Ok is an Assistant P r o f e s s o r at Bilkent University
while Tulug Ok has followed in his mother's footsteps and
b e c o m e a diplomat as well.
54
55