The Indonesian Optical Society(for Bahasa Indonesia, please scroll down)
(Click here for memories of colleagues, friends, and students on Prof. Tjia May On)
(Click here for pictures during the funeral service and ceremony to pay last respect to the late Prof. Tjia May On)
On Tuesday morning, 5 Nov. 2019, Indonesia loses one of its best physicists, namely Prof. Tjia May On. Prof. Tjia passed away peacefully to his creator at 00:45 at the Medistra Hospital, Jakarta after being ill for several months.
Pak Tjia, as his students used to call him intimately, was born on December 25, 1934 in Probolinggo, Indonesia. He is a Physics Professor of ITB, the initiator of main conference in the field of modern optics in Indonesia: the International Symposium on Modern Optics and Its Applications (ISMOA) series, the co-founder of the Indonesian Optical Society (InOS), and Chairman of InOS for 2011-2013 period. Together with several colleagues, he also co-founded the Postgraduate Program in Optoelectronics and Laser Applications at the University of Indonesia in 1976. He is also a co-founder of the Physical Society of Indonesia in its conception in 1973. He was a research fellow of ICTP in 1974 and JSPS in 1980. Until the end of his life, he was also an editorial board member of the Journal of Nonlinear Optical Physics and Materials since 2004.
He is a person who is simple, full of dedication, full of idealism, and very consistent in advancing science in Indonesia. From his fatherly hands, born many Indonesian young scientists who were inspired to continue his idealism.
Pak Tjia completed his Bachelor of Physics from ITB in 1962, and continued to Northwestern University, United States until he reached his Ph.D. in 1969 in the field of particle physics. Gradually, his research interests were shifted to modern optics, laser spectroscopy, conjugated polymers, and superconductors, which he worked on productively until the end of his life. Scopus’ records show that Pak Tjia has filed 158 publications in international journals, with 722 citations, and in collaboration with 157 co-authors which produced an h-index of 19. Pak Tjia is a person who never think of retirement in giving contribution for science. After his retirement as a professor from ITB 2005, he still actively involved in supervision of students in Research Division of Physics of Magnetism and Photonics, ITB and involved in research on laser induced breakdown spectroscopy in Maju Makmur Mandiri Research Center, Jakarta.
Pak. Tjia is a senior member of The Optical Society (OSA) and has received several awards. In 2007, he was the recipient of “Anugrah Sewaka Winayaraha” award from Indonesian government for distinguish services to higher education in Indonesia. In 2009 he was awarded the “Ganesa Cendikia Widya Adiutama” award from Institut Teknologi Bandung for unusually wide ranging internationally published research contributions in material physics. He was the recipient of “Achmad Bakrie Award 2012” award from Freedom Institute for exceptional contribution to scientific research output of Indonesia and the development of research culture in Indonesia, and the “Sarwono Award 2016” award from Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) for outstanding contribution to the results of scientific research and dedication in developing a research culture in Indonesia.
Goodbye, Pak Tjia. Thanks for your dedications, contributions, and inspirations.
———————————————————————————————————————–
Pada hari Selasa dini hari, 5 Nov. 2019, bangsa Indonesia kehilangan salah satu fisikawan terbaiknya, yaitu Prof. Tjia May On. Prof. Tjia berpulang dengan damai kepada penciptanya pada jam 00:45 di RS Medistra, Jakarta, setelah mengalami sakit selama beberapa bulan.
Pak Tjia, sebagaimana murid-muridnya biasa memanggilnya dengan akrab, lahir pada 25 Desember 1934 di Probolinggo. Beliau adalah Guru Besar Fisika ITB, inisiator konferensi utama dalam bidang optika modern di Indonesia: International Symposium on Modern Optics and Its Applications (ISMOA), salah satu pendiri dari Himpunan Optika Indonesia (HOI) dan menjadi ketua HOI untuk perioda 2011-2013. Bersama beberapa rekan, beliau juga ikut mendirikan Program Pascasarjana Optoelektronika dan Aplikasi Laser di Universitas Indonesia pada tahun 1976. Beliau juga salah satu pendiri Himpunan Fisika Indonesia pada 1973. Beliau adalah research fellow dari ICTP pada 1974 dan JSPS pada 1980. Sampai akhir hayatnya, beliau juga anggota dewan editor dari Journal of Nonlinear Optical Physics and Materials sejak 2004.
Beliau adalah sosok yang sederhana, penuh dedikasi, penuh idealisme, dan sangat konsisten dalam memajukan ilmu pengetahuan di Indonesia. Dari tangan kebapakan beliau lahir banyak ilmuwan-ilmuwan muda Indonesia yang terinspirasi untuk meneruskan cita-cita beliau.
Pak Tjia menyelesaikan pendidikan sebagai sarjana Fisika dari ITB pada tahun 1962, dan melanjutkan ke Northwestern University, Amerika Serikat sampai mencapai Ph.D. pada 1969 dalam bidang fisika partikel. Secara perlahan, minat penelitian beliau bergeser ke optika modern, spektroskopi laser, polymer terkonjugasi, dan superkonduktor, yang ditekuninya dengan produktif sampai akhir hayatnya. Catatan dari Scopus menunjukkan Pak Tjia telah mencatatkan 158 publikasi di jurnal internasional, dengan 722 sitasi, dan dalam kolaborasi dengan 157 ko-penulis yang menghasilkan h-index 19. Pak Tjia adalah orang yang tak mengenal pensiun dalam berkarya. Setelah purna bakti sebagai Guru Besar ITB pada 2005, beliau masih tetap aktif membimbing mahasiswa di Kelompok Keahlian Fisika Magnetik dan Fotonik, ITB dan menggeluti laser induced breakdown spectroscopy di Maju Makmur Mandiri Research Center, Jakarta.
Pak Tjia adalah anggota senior dari The Optical Society (OSA) dan telah menerima beberapa penghargaan. Pada tahun 2007 beliau menerima Penghargaan “Anugrah Sewaka Winayaraha” dari Pemerintah Indonesia untuk sumbangsihnya bagi Pendidikan Tinggi di Indonesia. Pada tahun 2009, beliau menerima “Ganesa Cendikia Widya Adiutama” dari Institut Teknologi Bandung untuk publikasi internasional dengan variasi topik yang sangat luas. Pada tahun 2012 menerima Penghargaan Achmad Bakrie dari Freedom Institute, dan Penghargaan Sarwono dari LIPI, pada tahun 2016 untuk kontribusi dan dedikasinya kepada pengembangan budaya penelitian ilmu pengetahuan di Indonesia.
Selamat jalan, Pak Tjia. Terima kasih atas dedikasi, kontribusi dan inspirasi yang telah diberikan.
