Passing of Professor Alvin Nienow, FREng, FIChemE, FHEA

The department is very sad to announce that Professor Alvin Nienow, one of the pioneers of Biochemical Engineering at UCL, passed away on 22nd October.

Alvin’s career at UCL started as an undergraduate in the Department of Chemical Engineering from 1955-1958. Following a period in industry, he returned to UCL as a Lecturer in Chemical Engineering (and simultaneously registered for a PhD!). In 1973 he led on establishment of the first BSc Biochemical Engineering programme and in 1977 supported the renaming of the department to the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering. These contributions helped lay the foundations for the formation of the current UCL Department of Biochemical Engineering in 1998.

Alvin left UCL in 1980 to take up a position as Professor of Biochemical Engineering at the University of Birmingham and spearheaded the growth of the discipline there. He renewed his formal association with UCL some 41 years later when he was appointed an Honorary Professor of Biochemical Engineering.

Alvin will be remembered by many as a great colleague, friend and mentor.

The department will work with colleagues in the community to produce a full obituary summarising Alvin’s scientific contributions to the areas of fluid mixing, fluidisation and biochemical engineering in due course.