Wieslaw Szydlowski, 81, associate professor emeritus of mechanical and materials engineering, died May 18.

Szydlowski taught engineering for more than 50 years, 35 of which were spent at Nebraska.

Born in Brest, Poland on March 1, 1938, Szydlowski graduated with an engineering degree from Technical University in Warsaw, Poland and spent 19 years there as a faculty member.

He then moved to Lincoln, where he spent nearly four decades teaching mechanical engineering, retiring in 2017.

Szydlowski’s first experience at Nebraska came in 1975, when he was invited to teach for one semester as an invited guest of the mechanical engineering department. He returned in 1983 as a visiting faculty member and became an associate professor in 1992.

He won numerous teaching honors during his time at Nebraska, including the Distinguished Teaching Award from the College of Engineering in 2010 and seven Parents’ Recognition Awards.

“Wieslaw impacted thousands of students over more than a half century,” said Jeff Shield, chair of mechanical and materials engineering. “His excellence and dedication to students set a standard for the department.”

Szydlowski is survived by his wife of 23 years, Laura; sons Piotr and Mikolaj; stepchildren Maureen Linke, David Parks and Benjamin Parks; and grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and first wife, Lucyna.

A funeral mass was held May 22 at St. Teresa’s Catholic Church. Memorials are requested to go towards the Capitol Humane Society or Food Bank of Lincoln.