Simon Fişel (born: 13th May 1921, Hârlău, România; deceased: 24th April 2007, Israel) – chemist, university professor, high level researcher
He attended primary school and high school in Botoşani, a famous cultural centre of the time. Four years after his graduation from the Faculty of Chemistry, University of Iasi, years spent doing research work, on 1st December 1949, he was hired as a teaching assistant at the faculty that he graduated from. At the same time he was a researcher at Petru Poni Institute of Organic Chemistry. In the 1952-1955 period he worked on his doctoral thesis and he defended it under the supervision of academician Radu Cernătescu. In 1963 he was appointed associate professor at the Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry and in 1964 he became full- (time) professor at Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi. His fast promotion as a professor brought about his appointment in 1968 as Head of the department in which he was working and, in the same year, he was granted the right to be doctoral supervisor. Due to his prolific scientific activity, he was granted the Doctor of Science award in 1970. Intermittently he was Head of Department between 1972 and 1978.
Throughout his teaching and research period, he worked with great names of Romanian and foreign research. His work results took the form of over 200 scientific papers published in Romania and abroad, 5 books and textbooks and over 50 research partnerships. He was among the few specialists in Romania to structure modern Analytical Chemistry, based on instrumental analysis, breaking with the tradition of chemistry laboratory based on analytical methods specific to the nineteenth century. In 1984 he was repatriated in Israel together with his family. Although retired, he continued to work until his death as an expert in various pharmaceutical companies.
His scientific merit and undisputable teaching value have placed Professor Simon Fişel in the gallery of our great professors. But his greatest merit undoubtedly is that he created a remarkable modern school of Analytical Chemistry at Faculty of Chemistry of Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi.
