In Memoriam: September 2026

Hans Aarsleff, an English professor who explored the impact of language in philosophy and the sciences, died July 1 at age 100. Aarsleff taught courses on American, English, and European literatures for four decades before transferring to emeritus status in 1997. He was a winner of the Howard T. Behrman Award for distinguished achievement in the humanities in 1994. In a University obituary, colleagues described him as a dedicated scholar and raconteur who shared memorable stories, including some from his time working for a traveling carnival in the Midwest during the summers of his graduate school days.

Roy Jackson, a chemical engineer who won honors for both teaching and research, died July 20 at age 94. Jackson joined the Princeton faculty in 1982 after working in industry research and at universities in Scotland and the U.S. He transferred to emeritus status in 1998, three years after receiving the first School of Engineering and Applied Science Teaching Award. His research spanned several topics including optimization and process control, chemical reaction engineering, and fluid mechanics, according to the Princeton Weekly Bulletin in 1998.

Antony Jameson, whose innovative work in computational aerodynamics reshaped designs and made airplanes more efficient, died June 11 at age 91. Jameson taught in Princeton’s mechanical and aerospace engineering department from 1980 through 1997, and in the lab, he developed computer techniques for calculating airflow at transonic speeds, reducing the need for expensive and time-consuming wind tunnel testing of new aircraft. His research earned awards from NASA, the Royal Aeronautical Society, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (the Spirit of St. Louis Medal), among others.

Brian Pethica, a senior scientist in the chemical and biological engineering department, died July 11, two days after his 100th birthday. Pethica came to Princeton following appointments at universities and industrial research labs in the United Kingdom and the U.S., including a term as dean of arts and sciences at Clarkson University. He was an active researcher for more than seven decades, publishing his first paper in 1949 and his last in 2025, according to a family obituary.