March 15, 2023 We held Dr. Mark Zheleznyak’s final lecture.

Dr. Mark Zheleznyak, who will retire at the end of academic year 2022, gave his final lecture to an audience of approximately 50 people. Attendees included not only researchers and students from Fukushima University but also online participants from collaborating institutions overseas.

Dr. Zheleznyak began his career as a researcher in water/environmental sciences at the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (ASU). Following the Chornobyl accident, he assumed a critical role in leading a task force established by ASU, focused on modeling and predicting radioactive pollution in Ukrainian rivers and assessing the effectiveness of pollution abatement measures. In recognition of his significant research contributions between 1987 and 1992, including accurately forecasting radioactive pollution during floods, he was awarded the Ukrainian State Prize in Science and Technology. Additionally, he actively participated in the development and validation of models for the European Commission’s decision support system, known as “RODOS,” and various programs under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

In November 2013, he joined the IER as a Project Professor and became a Professor in 2015. Since then, he has been dedicating himself to studying  the dynamics and mathematical modeling of ¹³⁷Cs in rivers and reservoirs in Fukushima Prefecture. He has also played a pivotal role as a key member in the SATREPS Chornobyl project, contributing not only to model predictions but also to the coordination with 13 Ukrainian partner institutes, ultimately leading to the success of the project. The lecture was a captivating reflection on his life as a devoted researcher in environmental radioactivity and radiation protection. His passion for the subject shone through as he shared his experiences and insights. The lecture was concluded with a heartfelt message from Project Professor Alexei Konoplev (Vice director of IER). It was a touching moment as Dr. Konoplev had coincidentally arrived in Japan on the same day and flight to join the IER with Dr. Zheleznyak, a close friend for over 30 years since the Chornobyl nuclear accident.