Ben Wiseman ’85

Student, 5th year

Like many I recall the challenges of Sedat’s classes. He always challenged his students by showing them concepts he found interesting. The drive to excellence and learn beyond the text was frustrating but also invigorating. But, I will also fondly remember his almost childish laugh when I would finally grasp a concept I had struggled over. Thanks to Sedat, I still have an understanding of non-linear systems that eludes most of my colleagues.
I had the honor of Sedat as my Clinic team’s advisor not once but twice. In group meetings, he would sit back (often enjoying his pipe) while we debated how to solve problems or some logistical challenge. Then he would smile and offer a question or suggestion to the team. It wasn’t important to him whether we used his ideas, but rather that he could help us learn along the way. He truly understood that in Clinic the means (learning, teamwork) were more important than the ends (the project deliverable).
He was an exemplary mentor and coach. The model of a sharp intellect who could guide and teach without ego. He will be greatly missed.

Tony Li ’82

Student

Like many others, I was a victim of Sedat’s high standards. I remember getting a 14/100 on a final, and being very thankful that I got that. The high score was an 18.

While I deeply value the knowledge that I gained in his class, I treasure even more his commitment to high standards. As he used to say, civil engineers do not get partial credit if only a part of the bridge stays up. In this time of declining standards and grade inflation, Sedat has been a continuing inspiration to strive for perfection, to hold others to the same high standards, and to never accept anything else than excellence.

Linda Miller ’83

Student

Sedat was a very tough professor. I remember the average score on his first test was 0. Even though he was tough in class, he was very nice in person. I always enjoyed talking to him. RIP Sedat

Donald Remer

Colleague in the Engineering Department

It was a pleasure being a colleague of Sedat for many years. I still remember many of our conversations outside of Sprague Library while Sedat would be enjoying his pipe.

One of my fondest memories of Sedat is reviewing some of his lecture notes for the experimental engineering course. His handwriting was a very beautiful script that he did in ink. I found his notes very helpful as I prepared my lecture notes for this course.

We will really miss you.

Jim Rosenberg

Colleague

I served on the Engineering faculty at HMC with Sedat from 1992 to 2001. I have many fond memories, but the one that I think captures Sedat and his relationship with his students the best came from a semester in which he offered his advanced course in control systems.

It was a small class of students (six or eight, mostly seniors, including Beston Barnett and Bill Earner, as I recall), who really wanted to take a class from Sedat before they graduated. After the midterm exam, which had a mean score well below 50%, the students, as a class, complained to Sedat that the exam wasn’t hard enough.

As usual, Sedat was driving the class very hard, but the students goaded him into pushing them even harder. I got to hear this ongoing push-me/pull-you saga from both Sedat and the students all through the semester, and to watch this fun and wonderful challenge evolve.

At the end of the semester, Sedat gave the class a final exam that was truly remarkable … I might have been able to complete it with several days’ time and a small library. The students, however, performed quite well on it. I had to explain to the students how extraordinary a learning experience they had just had — one in which they had achieved a level of knowledge and proficiency in a topic that exceeded nearly all of the faculty’s. Equally important, though, was how much this class inspired and energized Sedat. Nothing made Sedat happier than students really learning and striving to live up to their full potentials.