After almost 21 years in the Ball State Department of Marketing and Management, one of the department's most instrumental professors died Wednesday morning from complications following a two-and-half years battle with esophageal cancer.
Erdogan Kumcu, 53, died at 2 a.m. in an Istanbul, Turkey, hospital.
Doug Naffzigger, associate professor of marketing, said Kumcu was a pivotal figure in the Department of Marketing and Management. When he died Wednesday morning, a piece of Ball State died with him, he said.
"He was a tremendous ambassador for Ball State," Naffzigger said. "He touched us in a way that no one else will understand. It's hard for me to believe that he is no longer with us."-á
Kumcu had become ill in late February and decided to travel to Istanbul six weeks ago to visit his wife and daughter, said Ray Montagno, professor and associate dean for the Department of Marketing of Management.
His funeral is being held in Istanbul at 1:30 p.m. today, Montagno said. Faculty in the Department of Marketing and Management are also planning a memorial service for him on campus within the next few weeks, he said.
Cyrus Reed, assistant provost for international education, said he first met Kumcu in 2001, when Kumcu was serving as director of international trade for Indiana. Throughout his career at Ball State, Kumcu had both an admirable diligence and a sense of humor that made him an extraordinary role model to students and faculty, he said.
"I'll remember his smile," Reed said. "He was a wonderful colleague, and he was extraordinarily professional. He worked with a variety of constituencies, and he worked with them effectively."
According to his Web site, Kumcu received his Bachelor's and doctorate degrees in 1977 from the University of Istanbul. After an academic career in Germany and Turkey, he joined Clarkson University before joining the Ball State faculty in fall 1983. Kumcu specialized in the role of marketing in socioeconomic development and was co-founder of the International Conference on Marketing and Development.
In addition to serving as executive director of the International Society for Marketing Development, Kumcu helped develop the interdisciplinary European Studies Program as well as a faculty and student exchange program with Istanbul University, Montagno said.-á-á-á-á-á-á
"I expect he'll be most remembered for his drive to make sure every faculty member and every student had some kind of international experience," Montagno said. "He was a person with a very strong vision for internationalizing Ball State University, and he dedicated his life to that."
Montagno said he met Kumcu in 1983 and even visited Istanbul with him twice. Knowing Kumcu throughout the past 21 years has been an honor, he said.
"He was energetic, curious and passionate," Montagno said. "He never would let an issue go. He was very concerned to make sure things got done and that good ideas were brought to completion."
According to his site, Kumcu published several articles in more than five journals, including the Journal of Business Research, Mid-American Journal of Business and Journal of International Marketing. In addition to serving as consultant to the Food Marketing Institute and The World Bank, Kumcu received the prestigious Leavey Award as well as Ball State's Outstanding Faculty Service Award.-á-á
Naffzigger said both Kumcu's professional achievements and his personal contributions as a mentor and friend have made him a highly respected individual at Ball State and will never be forgotten.
"He was a wonderful individual," Naffzigger said. "He loved Ball State, and we will miss him dearly."
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