Professor Drago Kolar (1932 – 2000) was a head of the Ceramics Department at the Jozef Stefan Institute (Ljubljana, Slovenia) from 1965 until 1997.
Kolar was one of the world leading scientists in the field of ceramic materials. His main scientific interest was in sintering mechanisms and microstructure development in ceramics, high-temperature phase equilibria and functional ceramics.
He published, together with his co-workers, over 200 publications in international periodicals, over 200 publications in the proceedings of international conferences and co-authored nine patents. Besides his research activities he taught at the University of Ljubljana. He supervised 36 doctoral theses, 54 master's theses and 146 B.Sc. theses.
Among his honours and awards the most distinguished are: "Ambassador of Science of the Republic of Slovenia" (1995), "Honorary Diploma of the International Institute for the Science of Sintering" (1979), "Niobium Medal of the Max-Planck Institute" (1987), "Two Particle Man" recognition, German Powder Met. Soc. (1997).
The IJS magazine No. 79 (February 2000) was dedicated to Kolar (see articles in English by Guenter Petzow from MPI Stuttgart and by J.P. Guha from IJS).
B.Sc. Chemical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, 1957
Ph.D. (chemistry), University of Ljubljana, 1964
1957-1959 Research Assistant, Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana
1959-1960 Military service
1960-1961 Participant at the International Institute for Nuclear Science and Engineering, Argonne National Laboratory, Illinois, USA
1961-1972 Research Assistant, Research Associate and Senior Research Associate, Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana. From 1965 *Head of Ceramics Department
1972-1982 Assistant Professor (1972–1977) and Professor (1977–1982) of Ceramics and Materials Sciences, Faculty for Natural Sciences and Technology, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Head of Ceramics Department, Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
1982-1983 Keating Crawford distinguished visiting professor of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
1983-2000 Professor, Materials and Ceramics, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana
Head of Ceramics Department, Jozef Stefan Institute (till 1997), *1997 onwards Research Adviser, Ceramics Department
Invited professor at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Belgrade (1983–1991)
Professor for Nuclear Materials, Faculty of Shipbuilding, University of Zagreb (1979–1982)
Lecturer (Series of lectures) at Spring College, International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste (1989)
Invited lecturer (Series of lectures) at the Moscow Institute of Fine Chemical Technology (1986)
UNIDO Consultant, Ceramic Technological Institute, Bangalore, India (1994)
Consultant to the Director ISKRA - Industry for Electronic Components, Ljubljana (1976–1991)
Awards and honours
Boris Kidric Award for Highest Scientific Achievements (1982)
Boris Kidric Fund Award for Scientific Achievements (1972)
Boris Kidric Fund Awards for Innovations and Patents (1974, 1977, 1978 (2x), 1980, 1985, 1986, 1990)
Ambassador of Science of Republic of Slovenia (1995)
Iskra Award (1979)
Fellow of the American Ceramic Society (1989)
Member of Academia Europea (London) (1989)
Member of Academy of Ceramics (Faenza) (1989)
Titular Member of IUPAC Commission for High Temperature and Solid State Chemistry (1994)
Member of Sigma Xi Society (1983)
Honorary Diploma of the International Institute for Science of Sintering (1979)
Recognition of the Serbian Chemical Society (1973)
Recognition of Yugoslavian ETAN Society (1979)
Special Recognition of Iskra Factory for Hybrid Circuits (1975)
Golden Badge of Jozef Stefan Institute (1985)
Niobium Medal of Max-Planck Institute (1987)
"Two Particle Man" recognition, German Powder Met. Soc. (1997)
J. European Ceramic Soc.
Ceramics/Silikaty
Acta Chemica Slovenica
Science of Sintering
Textbook Ceramics 1 and 2 (in Slovenian)
Editor (together with co-workers) of five Proceedings of International Conferences
More than 200 publications in international periodicals (together with co-workers)
More than 200 publications in Proceedings of International Conferences
Nine patents
Invited and introductory lectures on International conferences and invited lectures on Universities and Institutes abroad: More than 30 lectures concerning sintering and microstructure development in ceramics, high temperature phase euqilibria, functional and engineering ceramics
Meetings and symposia organised
3rd Yugoslav Symposium on Modern Inorganic Materials, Ljubljana 1974 (with M. Drofenik)
2nd Yugoslav-German Meeting on Materials Science and Technology, Bled 1976 (with M. Komac)
5th International Round Table Conference on Sintering, Portoroz 1981 (with S. Pejovnik and M.M. Ristic)
5th International Conference on Sintering and Related Phenomena, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA 1983 (with G.C. Kuczynski and G. Sargent)
8th Yugoslav-German Meeting on Materials Science and Technology, Brdo at Kranj 1987 (with M. Kosec)
1st Slovene-German Seminar on Joint Projects in Materials Science and Technology, Portoroz 1994 (with D. Suvorov)
