Denis Towill, 1933-2015

Professor Denis Towill, Director and Founder of the Logistics Systems Dynamics Group within the Logistics & Operations Management Section of Cardiff Business School, and former Head of the Engineering School at Cardiff (UWIST) from 1981 to 1992, passed away on Saturday 29 August 2015.

Denis spent five years completing an engineering apprenticeship with Newman Industries in Yate near Bristol before going to the Bristol College of Technology where he graduated in 1957 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. In 1961 he achieved his Masters in Production Engineering at Birmingham University and in 1976 was awarded a Doctorate of Science on the subject area of Control Engineering.

Denis enjoyed a successful career in industry between 1957 and 1966, working with what is now known as BAE Systems, Bristol Aircraft Company while also lecturing at the Royal Naval College in Greenwich and the Royal Military College of Science. He joined Cardiff University, or UWIST as it was then, as a Reader in Automated Production and Control.

He had a long and successful career at Cardiff University and was involved in its development over the years. He was a member of the Merger Committee that saw the unification in 1988 of UWIST and UCC into what is now known as Cardiff University. Denis gained his Chair in 1970 and was the Head of Engineering from 1981 to 1992. He eventually transferred to the Business School in 2000 after a stint in the Department of Maritime Studies and International Transport from 1996. In 1988 he became the first ever member of Cardiff University to achieve the highest accolade of engineering - being elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Professor Towill will be sadly missed by his friends at colleagues at the University and our thoughts and condolences are with his family at this time.