In Memory of Dr. Banu Onaral, Former TASSA President
Dear TASSA Community,
It is with profound sadness that we share the loss of Dr. Banu Onaral, a former President of the Turkish American Scientists and Scholars Association (TASSA), who passed away on December 17, 2024.
A visionary biomedical engineer, global innovator, and respected academic leader, Dr. Onaral devoted her career to advancing science, technology, and health innovation. Born in Istanbul into a family of pioneers, a daughter of Mehmet Kum, who stood out as one of Turkey’s earliest aircraft construction engineers and pilots, and she was a granddaughter of Turkish industrialist and aviation magnate Nuri Demirağ, she carried forward her family’s legacy of excellence and service. Dr. Onaral earned her graduate degrees from Boğaziçi University and the University of Pennsylvania, and went on to shape the field of biomedical engineering atDrexel University, where she served as the H. H. Sun Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Electrical Engineering and as the Founding Director of the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems.
Throughout her illustrious career, Dr. Onaral’s work spanned complex systems, biomedical signal processing, and functional optical brain imaging. She founded and led interdisciplinary research collaborations supported by agencies such as the NSF, NIH, ONR, FAA and DARPA. Her dedicated mentorship nurtured countless students and professionals, many of whom have become leaders in their own fields.
Dr. Onaral’s leadership extended across the global biomedical engineering community. She served as President of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS), the largest member-based biomedical engineering society in the world, among many other service roles and large international conference organizations.Dr. Onaral was a Fellow of IEEE-EMBS, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and a Founding Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). She served on the inaugural Board of AIMBE as publications chair and as Chair of the Academic Council.
As a Past President of TASSA, Dr. Onaral played a critical role in strengthening ties between Turkish and American scientific communities, fostering collaborations, and mentoring rising scholars. Her commitment to building bridges extended globally, enhancing the impact of biomedical research and technological innovation worldwide.
In her final days, Dr. Onaral remained deeply engaged in research. She used her experience as both a patient and a biomedical technology developer to inform clinical practices and guide the medical community, ensuring that her insights could help improve care for future patients.
The funeral service for Dr. Onaral will be held on December 19, 2024 in Philadelphia, PA. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that those wishing to honor her memory consider making a donation to Çağdaş Yaşamı Destekleme Derneği (CYDD) on her behalf, supporting the organization’s mission to foster education opportunity.
Dr. Onaral is survived by her husband, Ibrahim Onaral, and her son, Philadelphia soul singer Mutlu, as well as by her family members who continue the legacy of exploration, resilience, and service she embodied.
We at TASSA join her family, friends, colleagues, and the global scientific community in mourning the loss of an extraordinary leader, mentor, and advocate. Her visionary contributions, compassionate mentorship, and unwavering pursuit of innovation will remain a guiding light for future generations of scientists and scholars.
May her memory continue to inspire us all.
Sincerely,
Turkish American Scientists and Scholars Association (TASSA) Board of Directors