In Memoriam: Jan Melkebeek (1952-2020)

The electrical machines community is very sad to announce that Prof. Dr. Ir. Jan A. Melkebeek passed away on October 30, 2020 at the age of 68. Jan received the Ingenieur Degree in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, the Ph.D. degree in Applied Sciences, and the Doctor Habilitus degree in Electrical and Electronic Power Technology from Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium, in 1975, 1980, and 1986, respectively. In 1981, he was a Visiting Professor with the Université Nationale du Rwanda, Rwanda, and in 1982, he was with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA as a visiting Professor. Since 1987, he has been a Professor of Electrical Engineering with the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Ghent University. He retired in 2017 and became Emeritus Professor at the same university.

At the end of his academic carreer, Jan did publish a book collecting all the courses he gave at Ghent University. This book on the Electrical Machines and Drives – Fundamentals and Advanced Modeling (Springer Verlag, 2018) is certainly a milestone for his past students and colleagues.

From 1983 on, he has also published 65 journal papers, 1 magazine paper and 119 conference papers in IEEE conferences and journals. He has been involved in the IEEE Benelux Section by being the IAS-PELS Joint Chapter Chair after 2002.

He has been deeply involved in the International Conference on Electrical Machines (ICEM) being a general Co-Chair in 2002 for the Bruges edition and in the meantime elected as a Steering Committee member. He has been one of the prime movers of ICEM Awards being supportive for this new initiative. He has been ICEM Awards Chair from 2010 to 2020 being only replaced in 2014 when he was nominated and honored by the ICEM Arthur Ellison Achievement Award.

He will be deeply missed by all the ICEM community.

Gérard-André Capolino
Emeritus Professor, University of Picardie « Jules Verne », France

Frederik De Belie
Associate Professor, Ghent University, Belgium