The Vice-Chancellor’s Medal for Merit awarded to Lennart Elfgren

Lennart Elfgren, senior Professor of Structural Engineering at Luleå University of Technology, is awarded the 2023 Vice-Chancellor’s Medal for Merit for outstanding and meritorious work in favour of Luleå University of Technology.

“I am very happy and honoured. The Vice-Chancellor’s Medal for Merit is a token of appreciation for my work at Luleå University of Technology”, says Lennart Elfgren, senior Professor at the Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering at Luleå University of Technology.

In autumn 1973, Lennart, at the time a newly appointed senior lecturer, began teaching Structural Engineering to the first 50 students admitted to the programme of geotechnology at the then University College in Luleå. Around ten years later, in 1984, he was appointed Professor of Structural Engineering. His involvement in Luleå University of Technology continued in the 1990s, as a dean and chair person of the Board of the Faculty of Science and Technology.

Today still, Lennart is active helping students, researchers and companies in the laboratories that he was involved in building in the 1970s and 1980s. In these laboratories, material and the assembly of concrete, steel and wood constructions are tested, particularly for bridge systems, a domain in which Lennart is well known. For example, he has, together with the Structural Engineering research group and international collaboration, tested around twenty bridges in northern Sweden. In these tests, the bridges have demonstrated the capacity to bear much higher tonnage than the ones indicated in the standards. In particular, this holds true for the ever so important Ore Railway (Malmbanan) between Luleå in northern Sweden and Narvik in northern Norway, for which the axle load gradually has been increased from 25 tonnes to 32.5 tonnes. With Gabriel Sas, present Professor and Head of subject of Structural Engineering, Lennart says that they use drones and new digitalised methods of measurement and analysis for research to make existing and newly built bridges even more environmental-friendly and sustainable.

During his entire working life, Lennart has been deeply involved in the University and the University staff. He has been so in many ways, but above all by spreading happiness and inspiring colleagues and students. Lennart’s unrelenting positive approach has spread to many generations and the fact that he continues to spread wisdom, spirit of community and positive energy at the University makes him a truly worthy recipient of the Vice-Chancellor’s Medal for Merit.

About the prize

The Vice-Chancellor’s Medal for Merit is awarded for outstanding work in favour of Luleå University of Technology or for meritorious work within one of the University fields of activity. The Medal is conferred at the Academic Ceremony and the award is decided by the Vice-Chancellor.

Lennart Elfgren is awarded the Vice-Chancellor’s Medal for Merit for the following reasons:

Lennart Elfgren is a very well-loved and appreciated teacher, researcher and leader who fills others with enthusiasm. Lennart Elfgren has been active from the beginning in the 1970s and has established both the Master programme in Civil Engineering and the research subject Structural Engineering. With his positive approach, his curiosity, his ambition to involve everyone, his never-ceasing energy and his engagement, he has strived for students, doctoral students and researchers, not only in Luleå but also at other universities in Sweden and abroad, to develop the potential to complete their studies and to reach their goals. Furthermore, he has worked for the spread of new knowledge and understanding of, in particular, the concrete construction field. Lennart Elfgren has been and still is an excellent role model for a large number of people.