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Advisory Board
Scientific Advisory Board
Lukas Emmenegger, EMPA, Switzerland Adam Fleisher, NIST, Gaithersburg, USA Aleksandra Foltynowicz, Umeå University, Sweden Alan Fried, University of Colorado, USA Livio Gianfrani, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Italy Jana Jagerska, Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway Kevin Lehmann, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA Greg Rieker, University of Colorado, Boulder, USA Lucile Rutkowski, Université de Rennes, France Gerard Wysocki, Princeton University, USA
Frank Tittel, Rice University, Houston, USA - link to the Dignity Memorial webpage for FKT
In memory of Frank Klaus Tittel It is with profound sadness and a heavy heart that we write these words. The passing of Professor Frank K. Tittel is an immeasurable loss — not only to those of us who had the privilege of knowing him personally, but to the entire community of applied laser spectroscopy and photonics science, and the FLAIR community of the international conference on Field Laser Applications in Industry and Research in particular. Frank was, without exaggeration, one of the most creative and intellectually broad scientists our field has ever known. His laboratory at Rice University became a wellspring of innovation, producing landmark advances in ultra-sensitive laser-based detection techniques — from pioneering applications of the color center laser to infrared sensing, to the seminal 1998 paper on compact difference-frequency spectrometers for trace gas detection and the numerous successful follow up applications of this novel laser source to airborne atmospheric research, and to the deeply elegant invention of Quartz-Enhanced Photo-Acoustic Spectroscopy (QEPAS). These were not incremental steps; they were transformative leaps that opened entire new avenues of inquiry for researchers around the world. Most remarkable about Frank was the extraordinary breadth of his curiosity. His contributions reached far beyond any single domain — spanning atmospheric and air quality monitoring, stable isotope ratio measurements, volcanic surveillance, and biomedical breath analysis. He seemed to approach every challenge, no matter how formidable, with a quiet enthusiasm and an inexhaustible inventiveness. Beyond his science, Frank was a remarkable human being — generous with his time, collegial in spirit, and genuinely invested in the success of others. His involvement in, and contributions to, numerous FLAIR conferences are exemplary. He served with wisdom and warmth on the FLAIR advisory board, from the very start of the conference series in 2007. He offered thoughtful counsel on speakers and programs, and the orientation of the conference. He lent his vast network of relationships to strengthen our shared community. The 2016 FLAIR conference dedicated a special gala session in his honor — a fitting, if insufficient, tribute to a man whose presence elevated every gathering he attended. We were extremely lucky to be able to welcome Jonel and Robert Curl to this celebratory meeting. A photograph featuring Frank and his longtime friend and colleague Bob on the same stage, is now featured as an example picture in the abstract template for the latest edition of FLAIR. Perhaps Frank's most enduring legacy is the generations of scientists he mentored and shaped. His stellar h-index speaks for itself, but the true measure of his influence lies in the extraordinary number of former students who have gone on to lead thriving research groups of their own — with a second generation now emerging. He was a teacher, a mentor, a reviewer, an editor, and a friend to so many. The extended scientific family he built will carry his ideas and his spirit forward for decades to come. Rest in peace, Frank. Your light will continue to illuminate our work. With deepest sympathy and gratitude,
The FLAIR Scientific Advisory Board, March 2026.
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