Alkiviades Ch. Payatakes was born on August 22, 1945, in Athens. He studied chemical engineering and graduated from the National Technical University of Athens in 1968. He received his PhD from the University of Syracuse, USA, in 1973. His postdoctoral activity started in 1973 in the Syracuse University and continued in the company Brunswick Corp., USA. His academic career began in 1974, when he joined the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Houston as an Assistant Professor, and eventually he became a Professor in 1980.

Since 1981, he was Professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras. From 1999 until 2006, he served as Director of the Research Institute of Chemical Engineering and High Temperature Chemical Processes of the Foundation for Research and Technology (FORTH/ICE-HT). From 2006 until his untimely death in 2009, he was Chairman of the Foundation for Research and Technology (FORTH).

He was founder and president of the PRAXI/HELP-FORWARD Network since 1991. Professor Payatakes made seminal contributions to the transport phenomena and fluid mechanics associated with flow in porous media, colloidal systems and biological media. His pioneering research was reported in numerous publications in top journals in the field. He received many recognitions and awards for his scientific contributions and his leadership.

He was an inspiration to his colleagues and especially his students, many of whom are now leaders in academia and industry.