She was born in Divriği district of Sivas in 1923. Her childhood and youth passed in Divriği. She went ADANA Girls High School after winning scholarship exam, followed by graduation from NURİ DEMİRAĞA Secondary School. She completed high school education with first degree. Then, she started newly founded ANKARA FACULTY of SCIENCE in 1943. Department of Chemistry of ANKARA FACULTY of SCIENCE was founded together with the opening of the faculty in 1943 as “General Chemistry Institute”; later on “Analytical Chemistry Institute” developed and separated from this institute, then, “Physical Chemistry Institute” and “Industrial Chemistry Institute” were founded. Physical Chemistry Institute was developed by Estonian Prof Parts in 1946.  The institute gained momentum after joining of Finn Prof Y. Kauko to the faculty in 1952. Saadet Üneri had worked with both of them.

She married Lawyer Hikmet Üneri in 1954.

Prof Saadet Üneri, was appointed as a teacher in Samsun High School after graduation from Faculty of Science. However, she returned back to faculty shortly after the invitation from faculty members.

She defended her PhD thesis entitled, “Potentiometric Determination of Least Amount of Amonia in Gaseous Mixtures” under the supervision of Prof Y. Kauko in 1955. 

Saadet Üneri performed research studies in electrochemistry laboratory in Physical Chemistry Institute of Munich Technical University during 1957-1959 and became a member of Comité International de Thermodynamique et Cinétique Electrochimiques  (CITCE)  in  1959.

She investigated the potentiostats developed by Bewcik and Fleischimann in Manchester University, Science Technology Faculty (New Castle, England, 1964), which were new on the market, and she purchased a Wenking Breithand  Potansiyostat Model 61RS (Göttingen) after returning back to Turkey. Therefore, the first use of potentiostats in electrochemical studies in Turkey had been achieved by intensive efforts of Saadet Üneri (1965).

She served on the Ankara University Senate and participated in various activities in this regard.

“International Electrochemical Thermodynamic and Corrosion Colloquim” was perfomed by Istanbul University, Faculty of Science on 12-16 September  1967 by great effort by Saadet Üneri, which is of quite importance that, It was the first International Chemistry Congress held in Turkey.   

She had been as free researcher for six months starting form June 1968 in Brussel University, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Corrosion Investigation Center (CEBELCOR), which was directed by Marcell Pourbaix.

She worked on theoretical basis of velocity of corrosion and performed application studies on these basis in the same institute by the application of “Lineer Polarization Method”. She became a member “European Federation of Corrosion and Inspection Methods Working Group Basic Trial” as a delegate of Turkey. She published the results of her studies in CEBELCOR in the journal of the Faculty of Science in 1969, in the journal of Chemical Engineer’s in 1970, and presented in IV. TUBITAK Congress in 1973, as well.

She received Associate Prof title in 1962 and promoted as Prof in 1970.

Prof Saadet Üneri organized series of seminars and masters and PhD lectures for the assistants in order to provide extensive information on the supporting and complement subject, related to their research studies.

Advances in Electrochemistry, Electrochemical Thermodynamic, Polarography, Electrochemical Kinetic, Potential pH-Diagrams, Cells, Fuel Cells, Experimental Methods in Electrochemistry, and Electrochemical Terms and Definitions were the names of some of her lessons.

These lectures have been a great support to her assistants together with masters and PhD assistans from other universities of the town, and youth from industrial companies. Some books of her are;

• Electrochemistry I and II,

• Colloidal Chemistry ,

• Corrosion and Prevention,  

• Dictionary of Chemical Terms, 

• Dictionary of Corrosion Terms

She supervised many masters and PhD researches, and she spent great efforts for the foundation and development of electrochemistry and corrosion in Ankara Faculty of Science. As a consequence, the faculty had become known internationally. Saadet Üneri joint many national and international congresses and symposiums, where her studies had been reported by oral presentations, and she directed meeting sessions.

She retired in 1990; she was an example to all of us with her knowledge, instructivity, entrepreneurship and modest personality,.

She perfomed great effort for the success of students with very limited income in Ankara Faculty of Science by Saadet Üneri Foundation.

 

Prof Saadet Üneri, died on 25 June 2015...