.Prof. Dr. Melih Boydak was bom in Elazığ, Turkey in 1943. He has graduated from the Faculty of Forestry, Istanbul University (Honour- Top student of his graduating class; '1964). He began his academic career as aResearch Assistant at the Department of Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry, Istanbul University. He is the author, co-author or editor of the over 140 publications. Some of his researches enabled to bring applicable solutions to some silvicUıtural and forest tree breeding problems. He has found some natural grove and forest stands of un known forest tree species (For example; Phoenix theophrasti and Celtis australis), for the first time in Turkey. He has reeeived several national and international scientific awards. He has been in some countries for scientific researches and has also participated to many scientific meetings. He has received some prestigious international scholarship for scientific researches, and has also given several presentations in abroad. He is a member of many national and international scientific, environmental and cuItural organizations. He has also published some artiCıes about folklore, and has got a poem book. Aside his scientific performance, he was also very successful during his administrative life such as the Chair of Department of SilvicuIture, the Chair of Department of Landscape Architecture as well as the Dean of Faculty of Forestry, Istanbul University and Vice Rector of Istanbul University. He is industrious and truthful, has principles of his own, is innovative, and intellectual with creative mind. He also has a modest, helpful and humanistic personality. His leadership, dignity and wisdom will be remembered. He is married and has a daughter. After 46 years of his scientific and administrative life, he has retired on September 25, 2010. Dr. Boydak still continues writing one of his new books and working on other scientific tasks in his office at the Faculty of Forestry, Istanbul University. He also works as a me mb er of Ethics Committee of the Istanbul University.