In Memoriam: TAPPI Member and Fellow, Dr. Michael J. Kocurek

We mourn the loss of Dr. Michael J. Kocurek TAPPI Fellow, and accomplished TAPPI Member since 1967, who passed away in May 2026.

Kocurek was best known as the Founder of the Paper Science Department at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point in 1970 and Professor Emeritus of Paper Science and Engineering at North Carolina State University. He developed numerous pulp and paper e-learning courses for the National Science Foundation at Coastal Alabama University.

Kocurek was inducted into the prestigious and exclusive Paper Industry International Hall of Fame—an honor bestowed upon less than 150 people worldwide to recognize those who have made preeminent contributions to the global paper industry.

Kocurek was one of the world’s most recognized educators in the pulp and paper industry where he taught TAPPI’s oldest and most highly ranked course, Introduction to Pulp and Paper Technology, for 51 years. Kocurek was elected as a TAPPI Fellow in 1985, a distinction bestowed upon one percent of the Paper Science industry. In 1992, he was awarded the Herman L. Joachim Distinguished Service Award, one of TAPPI’s highest honors, and in 2013 he was awarded the Paper & Board Division’s Technical Award & Harris O. Ware Prize.  Kocurek was a member of several Division Committees and was a lifelong member of TAPPI.

His contributions to TAPPI and the industry will be celebrated for years to come. TAPPI sends condolences to his family and friends.