Ken Walters

Ken Walters

Aberystwyth University

September 14, 1934 – March 28, 2022

Applied Mathematician
Fellow, Elected 2017

Prof. Ken Walters is a Distinguished Research Professor within the Institute of Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science at Aberystwyth University in Wales. He was educated at the University of Wales in Swansea and graduated with 1st class honors in Applied Mathematics in 1956. He went on to receive his M.Sc. Degree in 1957 for his research in atmospheric diffusion, then his Ph.D. in 1959 for his research with James G. Oldroyd in the developing field of rheology. Later, in 1985, Prof. Walters was awarded a D.Sc. Degree by the University of Wales in 1985.

Prof. Walters has spent a majority of his career pursuing academic research at Aberystwyth University. Specifically, he has extensively studied rheometry, constitutive modeling, and the theoretical and experimental behavior of complex fluids in a wide range of complex flow fields. He helped co-found the Institute of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics (INNFM) at the University of Wales in 1991. He has written several early books on the subject of rheology including “Rheometry” and “Rheometry: Industrial Applications.” Together with Roger Tanner (2016 SOR Fellow) he coauthored the book “Rheology: An Historical Perspective”. Prof. Walters was the Editor of the Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics (JNNFM) from its founding in 1976 until the publication of Volume 100 in 2002. During his tenure as editor, he also ensured that the editors of the three major rheological journals (JNNFM, Rheologica Acta and Journal of Rheology) also sat on each of the respective Journal Boards in order to guarantee the journals weren’t in direct competition with each other but rather served in a complimentary way to advance the broad interests of the rheology and complex fluids community.

Prof. Walters has been recognized extensively for his contributions to the rheological community by being awarded the Gold Medal from the British Society of Rheology in 1984 and the Weissenberg Award from the European Society of Rheology in 2002. In 1991, Prof. Walters was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society, and in 1995 he was made a Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Engineering. He has been an active member of the rheological community for many years. He served as President of the British Society of Rheology from 1974 to 1976, President of the European Society of Rheology from 1996 to 2000, and the Chairman of the International Committee on Rheology from 2000 to 2004.

Based on the documents submitted by Peter Townsend.