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L. E. (SKIP) SCRIVEN
1931–2007
elected in 1978
“For application of fluid mechanics to fundamental problems of absorption,
interface stability coating flows, surface wetting, and oil recovery.”
BY CHRIS MACOSKO
lAURENCE EDWARD (SKIP) SCRIVEN, faculty member
of the department of chemical engineering and Materials
science and regents Professor at the University of Minnesota,
passed away on august 3, 2007, of complications from
pancreatic cancer.
laurence edward scriven was born on November 4, 1931,
in Battle creek, Michigan. He was called skipper as a boy,
and the nickname skip soon stuck. after stops in london and
Washington, his family moved to Hillsborough, california,
when he was in the seventh grade. in that class he met dorene,
his wife to be. He received his B.s. from the University of
California, Berkeley, where he was the “Most Distinguished
student of the class of 1952.” in 1956 he received his Ph.d.
from the University of delaware under the supervision of
robert Pigford. He worked as a research engineer for shell
development company in emeryville, california, before
joining the chemical engineering department at the University
of Minnesota in 1959 as an assistant professor. in 1960 he
received the allan colburn award of the american institute
of chemical engineers. skip was named a full professor in
1966 and was elected to the National academy of engineering
in 1978. in 1988 he was selected as regents professor of
chemical engineering and materials science, the highest honor
a professor can receive from the University of Minnesota.
during his illustrious career, Professor scriven authored
363
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364 MeMorial TriBUTes
over 400 publications and advised over 100 Ph.d. students.
His research program was internationally renowned, focusing
on coating and coating processes. The program excelled at
combining experimental, theoretical, and computer modeling
approaches in order to better understand industrial coating
application processes. “Research education sets the University
apart yet industrial interaction is absolutely essential.” skip
believed in a comprehensive approach to research. Turning
a familiar adage around, he instructed students that “. . . no
experimental results can be believed until they are confirmed
by theory” (paraphrased). His trajectory for “the education of
an engineering scientist” has been adopted by many research
advisors:
“Begin with advanced courses for breadth and depth.
simultaneously make a fast start at research with a warm-
up problem tracked in weekly meetings and group seminars.
access to multiple advisors, academic experts and industrial
visitors is essential. Full-time research required in the first
summer with formal presentations in group seminars leading
to a thesis plan defended in the spring of the second year.”
“As a full PhD candidate, strive for two or more thesis
topics. include experiment, analysis and theory. learn
leadership with supervision of undergraduate researchers
and teamwork through collaborations with others, especially
industrial researchers. Present research outside to industrial
labs, advanced seminars, scientific and engineering societies
and employment interviews. all of which leads to a polished
thesis which includes already refereed publications” (adapted
from the coating Process fundamentals Program report at the
iPriMe annual Meeting, 2007).
Professor scriven was an exacting author, precise with
words. One of his former students (Eric Kahler, current
president of the University of Minnesota) still has the draft for
a first publication nearly solid red with Skip’s edits. His 3” x 5”
cards in elegant script with pithy research recommendations or
appropriate references appeared in the mailboxes of students
and colleagues alike.
skip interacted with and involved industrial engineers and
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L. E. (SKIP) SCRIVEN
scientists in his research program, and he was the preeminent
authority on coating process fundamentals. He helped launch
the international society of coating science and Technology
(iscsT) in the early 1980s, and in 1998 the iscsT instituted
the l. e. scriven young investigator award to recognize
outstanding young researchers in the field. Professor Scriven
was a cofounder of the National science foundation’s (Nsf)
center for interfacial engineering (cie) at the University of
Minnesota. after Nsf funding ended in 1999 at the urging of its
industrial members and through skip’s guidance cie became
iPriMe, or industrial Partnership for research in industrial
and Materials engineering, over 40 companies strong today.
During his career he also made significant contributions to
the fields of capillary hydrodynamics, enhanced oil recovery,
colloid science, and the theory of interfacial phenomena. His
most highly cited papers include analysis of the Marangoni
effect (American Institute of Chemical Engineering Journal, 1959),
a foundational explanation of the origin of bicontinuous
structures (Nature, 1976), and a description of an apparatus
that allows fast freezing of complex liquid specimens for
cryomicroscopy (Journal of Electron Microscopy Technique,
1988).
Many an undergraduate was launched on a research
career by serving as a library runner for skip. But in addition
to his research program, skip was very much involved in
undergraduate instruction in the department. He was the
champion for the Unit operations lab, the most important
chemical engineering lab taken by undergraduates. His
socratic method in the lab was famous. Professor scriven was
also an advocate for and much involved in the team teaching
program, a hallmark of Minnesota’s chemical engineering
and Materials science department. skip’s graduate course in
fluid mechanics was one of a kind. He spent years polishing,
sharpening, and perfecting the course.
Professor scriven held many distinguished visiting
professorships and lectureships, and he served on committees
for outside and national organizations. He was a fellow
of the american institute of chemical engineers and the
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Technical association of the Pulp and Paper industry. in
1986 he was invited to give the Josiah Willard gibbs lecture
by the american Mathematical society. some of the more
recent awards he received included two roon awards from
the federation of societies of coatings Technology (1993 and
2002), the american chemical society’s Murphree award in
industrial and engineering chemistry (1990), the Tallmadge
award in coating science and Technology (1992), and the
founders award from the american institute of chemical
engineers (1997). Most recently, he received the roy W. Tess
award in coatings for 2007 from the american chemical
society, in recognition of outstanding contributions to coatings
science and technology.
skip very much enjoyed his 18-year tenure as a member
of the advisory panel for the david and lucile Packard
foundation, awarding generous fellowships to young
american professors in science and engineering. at his own
university, skip established the summer Undergraduate
research Participants endowment and, upon his death, the
l. e. and d. H. scriven graduate research fellowships in the
chemical engineering and Materials science department of
the college of science and engineering.
in addition to teaching and research, skip was very
involved with the chemical engineering profession and wrote
a number of articles on its history. one example is published
in Perspectives in Chemical Engineering, edited by C. K. Colton
(academic Press, 1991, vol. 16, pp. 1–40).
although skip’s professional life and work were foremost,
he loved music—classical, jazz, south american—and he
pursued and actually traveled early western american history.
He was an excellent birder, identifying unseen avian singers
with his keen ear. He enjoyed the natural life at the family
“dacha” in the country, where he also kept a desk, music,
and many books and had annual barbeques for his students.
skip is survived by his wife of 58 years, dorene; their three
children, Ellen, Terry Ann, and Mark; five grandchildren; and
one great-grandchild.
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