Prof. Roman Pampuch was born on 4 March 1927 in Bydgoszcz and died on 14 February 2017 in Krakow. He graduated from the Ceramic Faculty of Silesian University of Technology in 1948. He obtained his PhD in 1954 at Warsaw University of Technology and DSc in the field of Technical Sciences in 1963 at AGH University of Science and Technology. In the years 1948-1955 he was the organizer and manager of the Physicochemical Laboratory of the Chemical Processing of Coal Institute in Zabrze. In the years 1955-1961 he was the manager of Physicochemical Group in Refractory Materials Institute in Gliwice. From 1962 he was continuously working at Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics AGH University of Technology in Krakow.

From 1962 to 1967 he was the chair of the Silicate Chemistry Department. For many years he directed the Materials Science Department. Due to his efforts a Special Ceramics Department was founded in 1967. At the same time he served as a Vice-Dean and afterward a Dean of the Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics. He has been a correspondent member of the Polish Academy of Sciences since 1983 and in 1993 he became an ordinary member of this institution. Between 1996 and 1997 he was the president of the International Ceramics Academy. He was also a honorary member of the Polish Ceramic Society and a member of the Presidium of the Polish Association of Biomaterials.

Professor Roman Pampuch was a world-known scientist, an expert in solid state chemistry, materials engineering and materials science. He was working on self-propagating high temperature reactions (solid phase combustion SHS), their application in the synthesis of high temperature compounds, physicochemistry of carbon and carbonization processes of organic compounds, sintering of inorganic solids and crystallochemistry of silicates. He was the author of worldly recognized  book "Solid State Chemistry", from which many generations of students of materials engineering, chemistry and ceramics have been learning.

Professor Roman Pampuch was the author of 221 scientific articles, 7 monographs and handbooks and co-author of 26 patents. He promoted 33 doctors, eight of which received full professor title. In 1996 he was awarded by the Prime Minister for his scientific achievements. In 1997 he was honored with the European Ceramic Society L. Stuits Award. He also awarded by the Minister of National Education and Rector of AGH University of Technology for his scientific and didactic achievements. In 1999 he received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of AGH University of Technology.

The science world has suffered a great loss.
Professor Roman Pampuch will always stay in our memory.