Professor A. Thurairajah | |
---|---|
அ. துரைராசா | |
![]() | |
2nd Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jaffna | |
In office September 1988 – April 1994 | |
Preceded by | S. Vithiananthan |
Succeeded by | K. Kunaratnam |
Personal details | |
Born | Kamparmalai, Ceylon | 10 November 1934
Died | 11 June 1994 Colombo, Sri Lanka | (aged 59)
Alma mater |
Udupiddy AMC Hartley College University of Ceylon University of Cambridge |
Profession | Academic |
Ethnicity | Sri Lankan Tamil |
Alagiah Thurairajah ( Tamil: அழகையா துரைராசா, romanized: Aḻakaiyā Turairācā; 10 November 1934 – 11 June 1994) was a Sri Lankan academic and vice-chancellor of the University of Jaffna.
Thurairajah was born on 10 November 1934 in Kamparmalai in northern Ceylon. [1] [2] He was the son of Velupillai Alagiah and Sellammah from Imaiyanan in Vadamarachchi. [1] He was educated at the Udupiddy American Mission College and Hartley College. [1] [2] After completing school he commenced studies at the University of Ceylon in July 1953, graduating with a BSc degree in civil engineering in 1957. [1] [2]
Thurairajah then served as an instructor in civil engineering at the university until March 1958 when he started working for the Public Works Department as a Junior Assistant Engineer for four months. [2] He then went to the University of Cambridge on a scholarship after Kenneth H. Roscoe chose him to be his research student. [2] Between October 1958 and December 1961 Thurairajah assisted Roscoe in his research into shear properties of soils. [1] [2] This research earned Thurairajah a PhD in June 1962 with a thesis titled Some shear properties of kaolin and of sand. [1] [2]
Thurairajah married Rajeswari. [1] They had three daughters and two sons. [1] [2] His younger son, Alahesh Thurairajah continued the Legacy of his father and earned a great reputation in geotechnical community. He is currently serving as President and Principal of a Geotechnical Firm ' Earth Mechanics, Inc.', based near Los Angeles, California.
After Cambridge Thurairajah worked in London for a company called Terreasearch Ltd for a while in 1962 before returning to Ceylon. [1] [2] He joined the University of Ceylon as a lecturer. [1] [2] He was visiting assistant professor at the University of Waterloo before becoming Professor of Civil Engineering in 1971 at the University of Ceylon. [1] [2] He was Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the Peradeniya Campus of the University of Sri Lanka from May 1975 to September 1977, and February 1982 to February 1985. [1] [2] [3] He was visiting professor at the University of British Columbia between October 1977 and December 1978. [1] [2] He was Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the Open University of Sri Lanka from April 1987 to August 1988. [1] [2]
Thurairajah became vice-chancellor of the University of Jaffna in September 1988. [1] [2] [4] He resigned in March 1994 on medical grounds. [1] [2]
Thurairajah moved to Colombo for treatment and re-joined the Open University. [1] He died on 11 June 1994 in Colombo due to cardiovascular failure brought about by leukaemia. [1] [2] He was posthumously awarded the Maamanithar (Great Man) honour by the LTTE Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. [5]
Thurairajah was a fellow of the National Academy of Sciences (Sri Lanka) from 1977; Institution of Civil Engineers (Sri Lanka) from 1979; and the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK) from May 1985. [1] [2] He was president of the National Academy of Sciences (Sri Lanka) in 1986. [1] He was president of the Institution of Civil Engineers (Sri Lanka) between October 1989 to October 1990. [2] He was an expert on soil engineering. [6]
Professor A. Thurairajah | |
---|---|
அ. துரைராசா | |
![]() | |
2nd Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jaffna | |
In office September 1988 – April 1994 | |
Preceded by | S. Vithiananthan |
Succeeded by | K. Kunaratnam |
Personal details | |
Born | Kamparmalai, Ceylon | 10 November 1934
Died | 11 June 1994 Colombo, Sri Lanka | (aged 59)
Alma mater |
Udupiddy AMC Hartley College University of Ceylon University of Cambridge |
Profession | Academic |
Ethnicity | Sri Lankan Tamil |
Alagiah Thurairajah ( Tamil: அழகையா துரைராசா, romanized: Aḻakaiyā Turairācā; 10 November 1934 – 11 June 1994) was a Sri Lankan academic and vice-chancellor of the University of Jaffna.
Thurairajah was born on 10 November 1934 in Kamparmalai in northern Ceylon. [1] [2] He was the son of Velupillai Alagiah and Sellammah from Imaiyanan in Vadamarachchi. [1] He was educated at the Udupiddy American Mission College and Hartley College. [1] [2] After completing school he commenced studies at the University of Ceylon in July 1953, graduating with a BSc degree in civil engineering in 1957. [1] [2]
Thurairajah then served as an instructor in civil engineering at the university until March 1958 when he started working for the Public Works Department as a Junior Assistant Engineer for four months. [2] He then went to the University of Cambridge on a scholarship after Kenneth H. Roscoe chose him to be his research student. [2] Between October 1958 and December 1961 Thurairajah assisted Roscoe in his research into shear properties of soils. [1] [2] This research earned Thurairajah a PhD in June 1962 with a thesis titled Some shear properties of kaolin and of sand. [1] [2]
Thurairajah married Rajeswari. [1] They had three daughters and two sons. [1] [2] His younger son, Alahesh Thurairajah continued the Legacy of his father and earned a great reputation in geotechnical community. He is currently serving as President and Principal of a Geotechnical Firm ' Earth Mechanics, Inc.', based near Los Angeles, California.
After Cambridge Thurairajah worked in London for a company called Terreasearch Ltd for a while in 1962 before returning to Ceylon. [1] [2] He joined the University of Ceylon as a lecturer. [1] [2] He was visiting assistant professor at the University of Waterloo before becoming Professor of Civil Engineering in 1971 at the University of Ceylon. [1] [2] He was Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the Peradeniya Campus of the University of Sri Lanka from May 1975 to September 1977, and February 1982 to February 1985. [1] [2] [3] He was visiting professor at the University of British Columbia between October 1977 and December 1978. [1] [2] He was Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the Open University of Sri Lanka from April 1987 to August 1988. [1] [2]
Thurairajah became vice-chancellor of the University of Jaffna in September 1988. [1] [2] [4] He resigned in March 1994 on medical grounds. [1] [2]
Thurairajah moved to Colombo for treatment and re-joined the Open University. [1] He died on 11 June 1994 in Colombo due to cardiovascular failure brought about by leukaemia. [1] [2] He was posthumously awarded the Maamanithar (Great Man) honour by the LTTE Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. [5]
Thurairajah was a fellow of the National Academy of Sciences (Sri Lanka) from 1977; Institution of Civil Engineers (Sri Lanka) from 1979; and the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK) from May 1985. [1] [2] He was president of the National Academy of Sciences (Sri Lanka) in 1986. [1] He was president of the Institution of Civil Engineers (Sri Lanka) between October 1989 to October 1990. [2] He was an expert on soil engineering. [6]