Olgierd (Olek) Cecil Zienkiewicz CBE. 18 May 1921 — 2 January 2009

Olek Zienkiewicz is internationally recognized as having been one of the leading developers of the Finite Element Method, a computer-based technique that has, since the 1960s, revolutionized design and analysis procedures in civil, mechanical, aerospace and other branches of engineering. Initially the formulation of the method followed a traditional structural engineering approach, but as the underlying mathematical basis became understood its application to other disciplines became possible. The methodology remains a flourishing research topic and its application has considerable potential in new scientific areas, including biomedical engineering and the life sciences.