Rolf Isermann, University of Darmstadt

Rolf Isermann received the Dipl.-Ing degree in mechanical engineering in 1962 from the University of Stuttgart. With a thesis on the multivariable control of steam generators he received the Dr.-Ing. degree in 1965. In 1968 he became "Privatdozent" for automatic control at the University of Stuttgart and since 1972 Professor in Control Engineering. Since 1977 he is Professor at the Darmstadt University of Technology and head of the Laboratory of Control Engineering and Process Automation at the Institute of Automatic Control. 1989 R. Isermann received the Dr. h.c. (honoris causa) from L'Université Libre de Bruxelles and 1996 from the Polytechnic University in Bucharest. In 1996 he was awarded by the VDE-Ehrenring, the highest scientific award from Verband der Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik. In September 1998 he was invited as Russel Severance Springer Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California at Berkeley. MIT Technology Review Magazine awarded him to the Top Ten of emerging Technologies. R. Isermann has published books on Modeling of Industrial Processes (1971), Process Identification (1971, 1974, 1988), Digital Control Systems (1977, 1981, 1987) in different languages, Adaptive Control Systems (1992) together with K.-H. Lachmann and D. Matko, Supervision and Fault Diagnosis (1994) and Mechatronic Systems (1999). Current research concentrates in the fields of Identification with neural networks, non-linear digital control, intelligent control and model based methods of process fault diagnosis with applications for hydraulic and pneumatic servo systems, combustion engines, automobiles and mechatronic systems. Since 1975 he hold several chair positions in IFAC Technical Committees. In 1996 he was elected as Vice-President of IFAC and chair for the Executive Board, followed by chair of the Technical Board in 1999 until 2002. In 1979 he organized the 5th IFAC-Symposium on Identification and System Parameter Estimation in Darmstadt. For the 6th IFAC/IFIP-Conference on Digital Computer Applications to process Control 1980 in Düsseldorf, he chaired the International Program Committee. He acted as Chairman of the International Program Committee for the 10th IFAC-World-Congress in Munich 1987. Furtheron he was Chairman for the 1st IFAC-Symposium SAFERPROCESS, Baden-Baden, 1991 and the 1st IFAC-Conference on Mechatronic Systems, Darmstadt held in 2000.