We are sad to announce the passing of Professor Andreas Acrivos, formerly Director of the Levich Institute
and Albert Einstein Professor of Science and Engineering at the City College of New York (CCNY), on February 17, 2025
in Stanford, CA. Prior to his time at CCNY, Acrivos was on the faculty of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University
and the University of California Berkeley. Acrivos was one of the foremost scientists in the field of rheology,
chemical engineering and fluid dynamics.
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.
Acrivos moved to CCNY in 1988, where he remained until his retirement in 2001. His research contributions focused on studying the properties
of suspensions, emulsions, and fiber-filled materials, significantly influencing the understanding of their microstructure and microrheology.
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.