Packaging professional extraordinaire, Emeritus Professor Harry Lovell, passed away this week. The Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) and the wider packaging community mourn the loss of an outstanding individual who dedicated his life's work to advancing the educational cause in the packaging industry.
In a statement from the AIP, president Jason Fields said, "It is with immense sadness and heavy hearts that the AIP advises one of our key foundational Members Emeritus Professor Harry Lovell, OAM, FAIP passed away on the 12th of September 2022. Harry has closed his final packaging textbook after 92 amazing years after devoting his entire life to furthering education; starting in the UK and then through the AIP in the Australasian region."
Prof Lovell's primary focus in life was to impart technical packaging knowledge to anyone who needed assistance and to ensure that everyone in the industry had the opportunity to be trained and educated, the AIP said.
Continuing his tribute, Fields said, "Many in the industry know Harry from their time at Gatton College where he was their lecturer and others were lucky to have him as a tutor for the Diploma in Packaging Technology or Certificate in Packaging degrees; others just met him at one of our many training courses or conferences. Harry's technical knowledge and packaging expertise was unparalleled and his kindness and grace was second to none. So many of us have memories about passionate technical discussions and debates with Harry in the corners of a conference and how you always walked away learning something new."
Prof Lovell's esteemed career is extensive, with numerous highlights, including:
- Receiving the World Packaging Organisation (WPO) Lifetime Achievement Award which was presented in Australia in front of his peers (2018)
- Receiving an Order of Australia for his work with the packaging industry, in particular for the AIP. This was nominated by his peers (2008)
- Being instrumental in bringing the IOM3 Diploma in Packaging Technology and Certificate of Packaging to the Australasian region
- Establishing the Harry Lovell Award for students who graduate with distinction from the Diploma in Packaging Technology course
- A Fellowship to the Australian Institute of Packaging
- A Founders Award for his significant contribution to the AIP
- A Life Membership to the AIP
- Being the AP Education Director for over a decade
- AIP President in (1995-8) and again in (2004-5)
- AIP Vice President (1993-1995)
- Being responsible for the creation of the Southern Cross Awards for students
- Tutoring hundreds of packaging professionals through the Diploma and Certificate courses
- Being awarded the prestigious designation of Chartered Scientist from the UK for his work in packaging in Australia and overseas after being nominated by the Institute of Packaging in the UK
- Being a designated Chartered Scientist under the Institute of Food Science and Technology (UK)
- Vice Chancellor of Gatton College University of Qld (1994-95) and a Director (1991-1995)
- A Professor in the Department of Food Studies (1990)
- The Dean of Food Studies Qld Agriculture College (1981)
- Principle Lecturer and Head of Food Technology and Department Head of Faculty Food Blackpool College of Technology and Art (1978)
Prof Lovell was among a key group of people instrumental in reinvigorating the AIP, not only as an education and training professional body, but also a business unit during his terms as national president in the 1990s.
"There is little doubt that without his hard work, which was usually in a voluntary capacity, the AIP would not be in existence today. There are several thousand Australians with a better understanding of packaging, food science and food safety as a result of Harry's teachings," Fields said.
"There will never be another Harry Lovell and we hope that he knew how much he meant to all of us in the industry. He was a mentor to so many and will be sadly missed."
