Appreciation of past Fellows

Professor Olgierd Zienkiewicz CBE FREng FRS - died on January 2, 2009 aged 87

Obituaries for Professor Olgierd Zienkiewicz CBE FREng FRS in The Times Higher Education and The Times Online

Tribute from Professor D Roger J Owen FREng
Olek Zienkiewicz, he will surely be regarded as the major figure of the twentieth century in the numerical analysis of problems in engineering science. Olek's stature in the field of finite elements is not only due to his scientific achievements but in no small measure a result of his extraordinary personality.

As well as relishing academic debate with his peers, Olek was never happier than when discussing research issues with younger colleagues. He had the ability to rapidly synthesise a research topic and to describe the essential theoretical and computational features to students in a transparent manner. In this respect, he provided countless engineers and researchers with the incentive and enthusiasm to participate in the exciting field of computational modelling.

Olek will be greatly missed by all who had the privilege to know and work with him over his long career.

Tribute from Professor Brian Clarkson FREng
To the surprise of many colleagues and to the great appreciation of the University of Swansea itself, Professor Oleg Zienkiewicz chose to remain based in their Civil Engineering Department. He founded the first truly internationally renowned University group in Wales and attracted many distinguished visiting Research Fellows. He was an inspiration to his young staff and as the power of the numerical methods became more widely established, interactions spread throughout all the Engineering disciplines and wider afield. It also formed the basis for major industrial collaborations with leading engineering companies such as British Aerospace, Rolls Royce and British Steel. This was surely the largest group of collaborating researchers in any University in Great Britain.

As the years went by his achievements were increasingly recognised Worldwide by Scientific Societies through their Medals and Awards and Universities through their Honorary Degrees. During my time as Vice Chancellor in Swansea at almost every meeting of Senate and Council I had the pleasure of reporting yet another Honorary Degree or Medal awarded to Prof Zienkiewicz. There was some envy of Oleg and his constant visits overseas - my reply to such comments was that 'when you are so famous and doing the University's reputation so much good you too can go off like that'! In the critical time of the introduction of Research Assessments I was particularly grateful to have such a high quality multi disciplinary group which I could point to when attempts were being made to concentrate research funding in a few well known places (of which Swansea did not then appear to be a part!)

He will be greatly missed as a scholar, inspirational colleague and loyal friend.

To add an appreciation please email Dominic Joyeux

Search
 
 

 

Updated July 2012

/about/fellowship/appreciation/details.htm