Carolyne Marina Van Vliet

Carolyne Marina Van Vliet passed away peacefully, on Friday July 15, 2016, in Miami, Florida. She was born in 1929 in Dordrecht, The Netherlands, and later moved to Amsterdam where she received a B.S. in Physics and Mathematics (1949), an M.A. in Physics (1953) and a Ph.D. in Physics (cum laude) (1956) from the Free University of Amsterdam. In 1956 she moved to Minneapolis Minnesota where she became professor at the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Minnesota. From 1969 to 1995 she was professor of Theoretical Physics and a Senior Research Member at the Centre de recherches mathématiques at the Université de Montréal, in Montreal, Quebec. She subsequently moved to Miami, Florida, where she was professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Florida International University and, most recently, adjunct Professor of Physics at the University of Miami.

Carolyne has had an illustrious career in research and teaching, specializing in the areas of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics, fluctuations and stochastic processes, quantum transport in condensed matter, and electron behavior in nanoscale quantum devices. She has over two hundred scientific publications, including a recent graduate textbook “Equilibrium and Non-Equilibrium Statistical Mechanics”. Her extensive contributions to the field were recognized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) which elected her first as a Fellow in 1991 and later as a Life-Fellow in 1996. In 2010 she was further honoured by being elected Fellow of the American Physical Society.

Carolyne lived a life of joy, courage and compassion. She was passionate about her work, interested in the world around her, an independent thinker and generous in helping those in need. She had a strong sense of family and a deep faith, as well as a good sense of humour. She will be deeply missed by her family, friends and colleagues.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in Carolyne’s name to a charity of your choice.

Visitation will be held on Friday, July 29, 2016, from 6 pm to 10 pm at Caballero Rivero Woodlawn South, Miami. Funeral service to be held Saturday, July 30, 2016, at 1 pm at Christ the King Church, 3801 SW 97^th Avenue, Miami, followed by interment at Caballero Rivero Woodlawn South.