According to media reports, Dr. De Cooman was found Wednesday afternoon lying at the base of the historic House on the Embankment, where he lived. Circumstances of his death remain unclear, but media reports said an investigation is continuing. 

Dr. De Cooman was the vice president for research and development at Russian steelmaker NLMK, which confirmed his death. 

“Bruno De Cooman’s death is an enormous loss for the group and the entire sector, for his friends and family,” NLMK Group president Grigory Fedorishin said in a statement.  

“He has made an invaluable contribution to the development of global steelmaking through product innovation. At NLMK Group, Bruno was appointed head of the newly created research and development function. We are devastated by the news and pass our sincere condolences to Bruno’s loved ones.” 

Dr. De Cooman joined NLMK in June 2017. Earlier in his career, he served as a professor and director of the Laboratory for Iron and Steelmaking at Ghent University. He later was recruited by South Korea’s Pohang University of Science and Technology to help launch the Graduate Institute of Ferrous Technology.

Dr. De Cooman earned his doctoral degree from Cornell University, and he wrote and co-wrote more than 500 publications and presentations on materials research and steel technology.

Dr. De Cooman was named an AIST Distinguished Member and Fellow in 2015. He received the honor in recognition of his research into advanced steel rolling and processing and for his commitment to sharing knowledge with students and industry professionals. 

That commitment was evident in his work with AIST’s International Steel Academy, which he helped to organize and for which he served as a regular lecturer. AIST executive director Ron Ashburn said Dr. De Cooman was indeed a true friend of the association.

“Bruno was active with AIST throughout the world. He was an expert in steel rolling technology, particularly for the production and processing of advanced high strength steels. His death is truly a loss for the global steel industry. We hope our thoughts and prayers help to console his family.”