Vincent Boudreau & Alexander Couzis
The Levich Institute in the Grove School of Engineering at City College of New York is sad to announce the passing of Professor Andreas Acrivos, former Director of the Levich Institute and one of the foremost scientists in the field of rheology, chemical engineering and fluid dynamics. Professor Acrivos passed away peacefully in the early morning of February 17, 2025 in Stanford, CA. He was 96 years old. Professor Acrivos arrived at City College in 1988, when he accepted the position of Albert Einstein Professor of Science and Engineering at the City College of New York and where he became Director of the Benjamin Levich Institute for Physico-Chemical Hydrodynamics until his retirement in 2001.
Born in Athens on June 13, 1928, Professor Acrivos emigrated to the United States to pursue studies in chemical engineering. He earned his bachelor's degree from Syracuse University in 1950 and continued his graduate studies at the University of Minnesota, where he received his master’s degree in 1951 and his Ph.D. in 1954. His academic career began at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1954, where he was appointed Assistant Professor and promoted to Professor in 1959. In 1962, he moved to Stanford University, where he played a pivotal role in the development of the chemical engineering program and served as department chair from 1972 to 1975. His research contributions focused on studying the properties of suspensions, emulsions, and fiber-filled materials, significantly influencing the understanding of their microstructure and microrheology. His work, in collaboration with Frankel and Leighton, on concentrated suspensions and shear diffusion, remains a cornerstone of modern rheology. Furthermore, his mentorship was crucial to the development of many distinguished scientists, such as J.D. Goddard, L.G. Leal, D. Barthes-Biesel, W.B. Russel, J.F. Brady, D. Leighton, and E.S.G. Shaqfeh. Professor Acrivos was also advisor to the then graduate student, Andrew Grove, in his early years at University of California at Berkeley. Andrew Grove, founder and former chairman of Intel Corporation made a stunning donation to City College in the amount of $26 million in 2005. The City College School of Engineering was then re-named the Grove School of Engineering.
Professor Acrivos was honored with numerous prestigious awards and distinctions, including the National Medal of Science (2001), recognizing his contributions to fluid mechanics and chemical engineering, the Fluid Dynamics Prize from the American Physical Society (1991), the Bingham Medal from the Society of Rheology (1994) and the G.I. Taylor Medal from the Society of Engineering Science (1988). In addition to these prestigious accolades, two significant awards have been established in his honor that include the Andreas Acrivos Award for Professional Progress in Chemical Engineering by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), recognizing outstanding professional achievements in the field of chemical engineering and the Andreas Acrivos Dissertation Award, presented by the American Physical Society, to recognize outstanding dissertations in fluid dynamics. He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2001, the Hellenic Society of Rheology recognized him as an honorary member, honoring his long-standing and significant contribution to the field of rheology.
Professor Acrivos is survived by his wife Juana, his sister, Acrivy Stavropoulos, niece Maria and nephew Andreas in Athens, sister-in-law Lily Crespo Vivó and family Armando and Antonieta Crespo their children, grandchildren and godchildren. He is also remembered by a host of graduate students, postdocs, fellow faculty and co-workers that benefited over so many years from his wisdom and mentorship.
We extend our deepest condolences to Professor Acrivos' family and to all who knew and loved him.
Sincerely,
Vince Boudreau, President
Alex Couzis, Dean