Professor Bruce Hanson
Colleagues will be sorry to learn of the death, on 22nd February 2025, of Bruce Hanson who was the University’s Leadership Chair in Nuclear Process Engineering, Honorary Professor of Nuclear Engineering at UCL, and Visiting Senior Fellow at the UK National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL).
Bruce joined the School of Chemical and Process Engineering in June 2012, having previously spent more than 25 years in the chemical and nuclear industries across a range of functions. As a young chemical engineer, he spent time on a chemical plant making perfumes, subsequently working for over 20 years in the nuclear industry for BNFL, Nexia Solutions and NNL. In these latter roles, he managed major works such as the NDA’s UK civil plutonium disposition project, the THORP advanced fuel flow-sheeting project and a molten salt development programme. In his later years he was also head of university links for NNL.
On joining the university, he continually expanded our nuclear engineering capacity through the leadership of major grants from the EPSRC, EU and industry on spent nuclear fuel and materials management and reprocessing, and the recycle and treatment of wastes for disposal, as well as on education in nuclear and radiochemistry. He established an active laboratory within the school, and a National Nuclear Users Facility known as MULTIForm (multiphase fluid flow in nuclear systems). He also cared deeply about student education and professional advancement, acting as director of student education as well as mentoring many students and staff alike.
Colleagues will remember Bruce for his broad ranging expertise, his leadership and vision, and his integrity and professionalism. They will also remember him for his dignity, empathy, friendliness and sense of humour. We have not only lost a capable academic colleague but a good friend, and that loss will be felt by the whole nuclear research community, not only in the UK but world-wide
Our thoughts are with his family, friends and former colleagues at this sad time.