Dr Jiri Zdarek came to Penn State’s Engineering Science and Mechanics department in September 1969 to work on his doctorate degree under the advising of Dr. Sam Zamrik. Jiri came from Czechoslovakia at that time and returned the next year to continue work on his doctorate at the Prague Technical Institute. Dr. Zdarek is now the Director of the Integrity and Technical Engineering Division at the Nuclear Research Institute, Czech Republic. Here Dr. Jiri Zdarek is pictured with Dr. Judith A. Todd, P.B. Breneman Department Head Chair and Dr. Sam Zamrik, Professor Emeritus, Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, at the Pressure Vessel and Piping conference in Prague, July 27 – 31, 2009. For more information about the conference visit this website.