(June, 2004) Stratis Sotirchos, adjunct professor of chemical engineering at the University of Rochester, died June 13 at the age of 48 in Brussels, Belgium. He was struck by a car while attending a scientific conference. He was renowned for possessing a rare blend of mathematical ability and physical intuition that earned him an international reputation for his work in complex chemical systems.

Sotirchos joined the university in 1982 and became a full professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering in 1992. His research revolved around chemical reaction engineering, which involved modeling how chemical reactions that work well in a test tube might function in larger-scale industrial applications, such as how best to convert coal into fuel. Later in his career he delved into how to create composite materials, like those used in professional tennis racquets or jet engine turbines. The full UR announcement can be found on the UR Press Releases website