Alan W. Pense, 88, of Kirland Village, Bethlehem, died May 11, 2022. Born in Sharon, Connecticut, he was a son of Arthur Wilton Pense and May Wiggins Pense. He was the husband of Muriel (Taylor) Pense since 1958.

He was a graduate of Bethlehem Central HS, Delmar. He attended Cornell University. He earned a Bachelor of Metallurgical Engineering, a Master of Science in Metallurgical Engineering and a PhD in Metallurgical Engineering from Lehigh University.

At Lehigh, he became, in 1962, an assistant professor. He continued his career as an associate professor, professor, chairman of the department of Material Science and Engineering, Associate Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. In 1989, he was appointed dean. He was named Vice President for Academic Affairs in 1990. He retired from Lehigh in 1998.

He helped create the Center for Advanced Technology for Large Structural Systems, in 1986. He was a consultant for 20 years on bridges and other large structures failures.

He was an Emmanuel Evangelical Congregational Church member and involved in Sunday School. He was Chairman of the Board of Evangelical Seminary, Myerstown. He was a board member of the Lehigh Valley Christian High School. He was a contributor to the David A. Dorsey Museum of Biblical Archaeology.

His awards included the Student Council Teaching Award (1966); the Stabler Teaching Award (1972) and the College Service Teaching Award (1984). He authored or co-authored of over 100 articles on metallurgical research, specializing in welding. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1993. He was a member of the American Society of Metals, the American Welding Society and the International Institute of Welding. In Europe, he presented his research on welding materials for bridges. He was a part in a U.S. delegation to Russia during the Cold War. He was on the founding commission for the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology: From 1989-1994, he was on the external Engineering Advisory Committee for HKUST.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by a sister, Cynthia Bandfield; a brother, Ronald Pense; three children, Rev. Daniel Pense and his wife Joan Pense, the Rev. Steven Pense and his wife Dorothy Pense, and Dr. Christine Pense; and four grandchildren, Hannah Pense, Joshua Pense, Jonathan Pense and Benjamin Pense.

Arrangements were made by Cantelmi Long Funeral Home Inc., Bethlehem.