Franz R Brotzen

Franz R. Brotzen, a long-time faculty member who helped guide Rice University from its days as a small regional institution to a national research university, died in May 2010 of natural causes. He was 94. Brotzen, the Stanley C. Moore Professor Emeritus of Materials Science, was an engineer by training and founded Rice's materials science program. But his influence on generations of Rice students went far beyond his work in metal physics and the electrical properties of metal. Brotzen, a native of Germany, traveled the world well into his 80s, spoke a number of languages and encouraged students to study and experience life abroad. He and his wife, Frances, established the Brotzen Summer Travel Award to help Rice students pursue their personal interests overseas. He taught until 2009.