YOGYAKARTA - Sadness embraced academic community of UGM. One of its best sons has passed away. He is Prof. Ir. Morisco, Ph.D., who is known as one of the bamboo experts in Indonesia. The professor of Faculty of Engineering died at the age of 66 on Wednesday, August 24, 2011 at 22:15 hours in Harapan Kita Hospital, Jakarta, after being treated for 4 weeks.
UGM Rector, Prof. Ir. Sudjarwadi, M. Eng., Ph.D., expressed condolences and grief to his family. During his life, Prof. Morisco conducted many researches on bamboo. In his professorship inaugural speech, he delivered about the empowerment of bamboo for social welfare and environmental sustainability. "To address the demand for wood and furniture, other materials to substitute wood are needed. Bamboo is an option because it is easily grown and has a strength similar to steel," Rhe rector said in the ceremony prior to the funeral at UGM Balairung on Thursday (25/8).
Morisco was born in Solo, February 8, 1945. His education began in the SR Purwoprajan Solo (1957), National Junior High School Solo (1961), and SMA 1 Solo (1964). Then, he took civil engineering undergraduate education at UGM until he graduated in 1975. He gained doctorate degree at City University, London, UK, 1986. During his career, Morisco had become Dean of Faculty of Engineering, University of Mataram (1988-2000), S-2 Program Administrator of Civil Engineering Universitas Gadjah Mada (2002-2006), and he last served as Head of Laboratory of Structural Engineering, Civil Engineering Department Universitas Gadjah Mada, since 2002. In the membership of professional association, Morisco was active in the Association of Indonesian Construction Experts (HAKI) and Indonesian Bamboo Lovers (Perbindo).
His research on bamboo had started in 1993 and succeeded in obtaining a patent. Morisco successfully developed a way of connecting bamboo with the filling, bamboo preservation tool with pressure, precast concrete wall slab with bamboo reinforcement, and laminated bamboo. Especially for laminated bamboo in the form of beams can be applied to the frame. "Hopefully the contribution, examples, and greatness of Prof. Morisco can be example for the next generations. Hopefully, the students can continue to be inspired by his sciences sustainably," the Rector ended the conversation.