Provided by Joe Kelly

Alvin was an undergraduate of the Department of Physics from 1997 to 2000. During this time, he completed a BSc theoretical project under the supervision of Professor Kim Christensen, resulting in a research paper which was a rarity for undergraduate students. After graduating with a first-class degree in 2000, Alvin then undertook a doctorate in the Condensed Matter Theory group under the supervision of Professor Dimitri Vvedensky. He graduated in 2004 with a PhD thesis entitled ‘Mathematical Aspects of Epitaxial Systems’. He later worked as a Research Assistant with Dimitri on the mathematics of surface growth models (2006 - 2007) and then with Professor Adrian Sutton and Professor Mike Finnis on simulations of materials (2007 - 2009). This led to an important publication in the top journal, Nature Materials, in 2010.

Alvin was a wonderful personality with a huge wide smile and a sharp scientific and analytical mind. This allowed him to produce research results in his own unique way. Alvin is remembered fondly by his fellow students and colleagues here at Imperial.