Ira M. Cohen *63

Body

Cohen earned a bachelor’s degree in 1958 from Brooklyn Polytechnic University and a Ph.D. from Princeton in 1963, both in aeronautical engineering. He then taught at Brown for three years before joining the University of Pennsylvania in 1966 as an assistant professor. From 1992 to 1997, he was chair of the mechanical engineering and applied mechanics department.

During his doctoral efforts and a few years beyond, Cohen collaborated with the late Princeton professor Martin Kruskal (recipient of a 1993 National Medal of Science) on plasma physics, a foundation of Cohen’s strength in plasma-fluid dynamics. Among his contributions is a highly acclaimed graduate-level course textbook, Fluid Mechanics , written with the late professor P.K. Kundu, recently released in its fourth edition.

Cohen was dedicated not only to academics, but also to physical fitness. In recognition of the latter, a small plaque in his honor recently was installed at the Ringe Squash Courts at Penn.

He is survived by his wife, Linda, two daughters, and three grandchildren.


Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA.

0 Responses

Join the conversation

Plain text

Full name and Princeton affiliation (if applicable) are required for all published comments. For more information, view our commenting policy. Responses are limited to 500 words for online and 250 words for print consideration.

Paw in print

Image
The cover of PAW’s April, 2025, issue, featuring a photo of three soldiers in World War II uniforms reading PAW.
The Latest Issue

April 2025

PAW turns 125; Gatsby at 100; Princeton Journeys around the world