03 Mar 2025
In Memoriam: Professor Nik Petrinic
Professor Nik Petrinic, a longstanding and valued member of the department, passed away on Monday 24th February
We are deeply saddened to announce that our friend and colleague Professor Nik Petrinic passed away on Monday 24th February.
Nik was a longstanding and valued member of the department. He arrived in 1998 as a Departmental Lecturer, and was later appointed to first an Associate Professorship, with a Tutorial Fellowship at Exeter College, and then Research Chair. He made significant contributions to the field of Impact Engineering, through a unique combination of novel experiments and cutting-edge modelling and analysis. He built, from scratch, a world leading laboratory for the characterisation of materials under dynamic and impact loading, with a particular focus on addressing industrial challenges in the effective use of aerospace alloys and composites.
In addition to these significant academic achievements, Nik’s legacy will be felt in the careers of those he mentored over his time in Oxford. The kindness and support that he showed to his colleagues is keenly felt and he will be greatly missed by all who worked with him.
Professor Clive Siviour
Head of Department
