In Memoriam: Reinhard Radermacher

In Memoriam: Reinhard Radermacher

With great sadness, we share the news of the sudden passing on January 24 of Reinhard Radermacher, director of the Center for Environmental Energy Engineering (CEEE) and Minta Martin Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland’s A. James Clark School of Engineering. This is a huge loss to the CEEE, University of Maryland, and HVAC&R and heat pump communities.

Professor Radermacher was an internationally recognized expert in energy conversion systems, specializing in heat pumps, air conditioners, refrigeration, and integrated cooling, heating, and power systems. His scholarship generated over 600 publications, including three books, more than 200 invention records and 17 U.S. patents. He consistently ranked in the top 2% of researchers worldwide based on the number of career-long citations of his work. Academics, researchers and other inventors alike sought him out for inspiration and insight.

A native of Germany, Radermacher earned his Ph.D. in physics from the Technical University of Munich in 1981 before moving to the United States. He was a visiting scientist and NATO scholar at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the early 1980s and joined the University of Maryland in 1983.

In 1991, he co-founded CEEE to conduct pre-competitive research in support of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) industry and to empower students with the tools to succeed in the workforce.

We were privileged to call Professor Radermacher our leader and a friend. He was a person of great intellect, and his commitment to the success of everybody around him was unparalleled. He cherished mentoring his students and took time out of his schedule every week to eat lunch together at the dining hall. Likewise, he mentored many faculty members, reaching out to new faculty and graciously sharing his years of wisdom.

Professor Radermacher valued his collaborations with partners in industry, government and academia. He was invigorated by the challenges before us, and believed that by collaborating we can meet society's growing demand for heating and cooling solutions. He will be greatly missed. We will work every day to keep Professor Radermacher’s legacy alive through our dedication to continue his mission of developing sustainable HVAC&R solutions.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Dr. Reinhard Radermacher Distinguished Graduate Endowed Fellowship for Energy Innovation in Mechanical Engineering or the Division of Student Affairs Crisis Fund or So Others May Eat.

January 29, 2025