Stela (Steluța) Colan was born 11 May 1926 in Covasna, Covasna County, Romania to Gheorghe Colan (1996-1963) and Elena Rafiroiu (1899-1991) and died 24 July 2017 Cluj-Napoca, Cluj County, Romania of unspecified causes. He married Monica Dăneț (1937-) .
Horia Colan (May 11, 1926, Covasna – July 24, 2017, Cluj-Napoca) was a Romanian engineer, specialist inthe field of metallurgy, elected as a full member (2010) of the Romanian Academy. He also has studies in the field of history of science and technology, with preoccupations with the valorization of Romanian traditions and priorities.
Biography
Horia Colan attended the {[Moise Nicoară National College|Moise Nicoară High School]] in Arad between 1936-1944, with a period of 2 years (1938-1940) in which he was a student ofthe Emil Racovita" National Collegei n Cluj-Napoca. At the baccalaureate held at the scientific section, he was on the first position. He continued his training at the Faculty of Electromechanics of the Polytechnic School of Timisoara (1944-1949), being admitted with the highest average of the three faculties reunited. In 1949 he obtained the diploma of mechanical and electrotechnical engineer. After graduating from the faculty, he remained a teacher at the Polytechnic Institute of Cluj , going through the professional steps: assistant (1950), lecturer (1953), associate professor (1964). In 1966 he held the post of scientific secretary of the Faculty of Mechanics (1966-1972) and member of the Council of the Faculty of Mechanics (1966-1990).
He obtained the title of Doctor of Engineer in Materials Science (physical metallurgy, powder metallurgy) at the Polytechnic Institute of Cluj-Napoca (1971) with the thesis "Research on the influence and diffusion of copper in sintered iron-carbon steels and alloys". In the same year he obtained the title of professor and the post of head of the Department of Materials Science and Technology (1971-1985), as well as the head of the Research Center for Powder Metallurgy (1971-1985). Starting with 1977 he obtained the right to be a doctoral supervisor in the specialties of Physical Metallurgy, Materials Science and History of Technical Sciences.
In 1990 he was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Mechanics and then Rector of the Polytechnic Institute of Cluj-Napoca (1990-1992), during this period being President of the Rectors' Council of Cluj-Napoca as well as member of the Council of the Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering (1990-1996), member of the Senateof the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca (1990-1996) and member of the Superior Attestation Commission (1990-1992). He was also a member of the National TEMPUS Commission (from 1992), of the University Academic College (1991-1992) and an expert at the Commission of the European Communities, Brussels for the EC TEMPUS Office (since 1993). On March 9, 1991, he was received a corresponding member of theRomanian Academy, being elected President of the Technical Sciences Section and of the Materials Science Commission of the Cluj-Napoca Branch of theRomanian Academy. In the same year he was elected Vice-President of the Romanian Committee on the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (CRIFST) and President of the Technical History Division. He was elected Vice-President of the Transylvania Branch of the Association of Scientists in Romania (1990-1994) and became a founding member ofthe Academy of Technical Sciences in Romania (ASTR) - president of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (1997). In 2003 he received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa ofthe "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University of Iasi, on January 17, 2007 he became Doctor Honoris Causa of theTechnical University of Cluj-Napoca, on February 22, 2007 he was rewarded with the title Doctor Honoris Causa ofthe Transilvania University of Brasovand on October 10, 2013 he became Doctor Honoris Causa ofthe "Petru Maior" University of Târgu-Mureș. On March 30, 2010 he was received a full member of theRomanian Academy. Topics covered include: intergranulary diffusion of copper in steels (patent); high-temperature microscopic study of fe-cugrafit material sintering; pseudoalloys W-Cu, W-Ag (patent); molybdenum silication; Ni-Cr-Si-B and Co-Cr-W-C alloys for metallization by powder design; composite with metal matrix WC-W-Ni-(Cu-Zn-Si)-diamond etc. He also contributed to the discovery and capitalization of Some Romanian traditions and priorities such as: the first description of the metallographic method (1848), an important work on construction steels (1888), the diffraction of X-rays (C. Bungeţianu, 1896), the development of technical sciences in Transylvania, the Franco-Romanian relations, and researched the life and work of some personalities of the Romanian and universal science - René de Réaumur, Petrache Poenaru, G. Bariţiu, D. K. Cernov, Anghel Saligny, H. Le Chatelier, L. Guillet, P. Sergescu etc.
Family
He is the son of Gheorghe Colan (1896-1963) and Elena Rafiroiu (1899-1991) , and Bishop Nicolae Colan was his uncle. He was mainly engaged in powder metallurgy. Following his marriage to Monica Rada (née Dăneț) he has two daughters: Dana Boboc and Ligia Simionescu-Colan.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Daria Colan (1968-) | 8 January 1968 Cluj-Napoca, Cluj County, Romania | Mircea Boboc (1956-) | |
| Ligia Colan (1969-) | 5 July 1969 Cluj-Napoca, Cluj County, Romania | Lucian Simionescu (1970-) | |
Siblings