Alan Papesch was born in Pirongia, Te Awamutu, and was educated at Pirongia Primary School, Rotorua High School, Hamilton Marist and Te Awamutu College. He attended the University of Auckland and the University of Canterbury and graduated B.E. (First class Hons), Ph.D, M.I.Mech.E, M.R.Ae Soc, C.Eng. He was Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Canterbury for many years before his retirement. He wrote technical papers and was interested in helping Māori students in science and engineering. He worked on a booklet entitled "A Review of some notable Māori Technology." Papesch provided a general annotation for his non-fiction articles stating "Most of these research papers and the doctoral thesis develop forest and shelter-system design principles for tree spacing, height and layout to reduce damage caused by high winds. Current international research in forest and shelter aerodynamic studies have adopted some of the fundamental approaches used in this reference list to guide research direction."
Biographical sources
- Correspondence from Dr Alan Papesch 14 May 1993, 11 Feb. and 22 Apr. 1998, 15 and 21 July 2004.
Non-fiction
- "Researchers Seek Ways To Reduce Forest Windthrow Losses." Forest Industries Review 1.11 (Oct. 1970): 2-4.
- "The Problem Of Wind Damage In Canterbury Forests." N. Z. Engineering 26.10 (Oct. 1971): 293-297.
- "A Model Study Of Windbreaks On Railway Bridges." N. Z. Engineering 27.4 (Apr. 1972): 132-139.
- Co-authored with A. J. Doggett.
- "A Simplified Theoretical Analysis Of The Factors That Influence Windthrow Of Trees." Fifth Australasian Conf. on Hydraulics and Fluid Mechanics at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch New Zealand, 9-13 December, 1974; Conference Proceedings. David Lindley and A.J. Sutherland. Christchurch, N.Z.: U of Canterbury, 1974.
- "Harnessing Wind Energy Using Trees Under Sway In Suitable Afforestation Schemes." New Zealand Energy Journal 49.9 (Sep 1976): 143-147.
- "Full Scale And Model Forest Wind Spectra At Tree-Top Height For Different Tree Spacings." Tenth Australasian Fluid Mechanics Conference, University of Melbourne, 11-15 December 1989. Ed. A. E. Perry. Melbourne, Victoria, Austral: Organising Committee, 1980. V. 2: 9.17-9.20.
- Co-authored with K. F. Miller.
- "The Nature Of Winds Approaching And Passing Over Shelter Systems." 9th Australasian Fluid Mechanics Conf. Auckland, N.Z., Dec. 1986: 304-307.
- "Wind Tunnel Tests To Optimize Barrier Spacing And Porosity To Reduce Wind Damage In Horticultural Shelter Systems." Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics 41-44 (1992): 2631-2642.
- "Māori Culture In University Engineering Education." Australasian Journal of Engineering Education 3.2 (1992): 213-221.
- "Mechanical stability of Pinus radiata trees at Eyrewell Forest investigated using static tests." A. J. G. Papesch, J. R. Moore and A. E. Hawke. New Zealand Journal of Forestry Science 27.2 (1997): 188-204.
Papers/Presentations
- "A Field Study To Determine The Drag Coefficient And The Associated Centre Of Pressure Of Edge Trees Of A Forest Stand." 6th Australasian Conf. on Hydraulics and Fluid Mechanics, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Dec. 5-9, 1977.
- "Wind And Crop Response On Passing Through Artificial Or Natural Shelter." Seminar, Auckland U, N.Z. Feb. 1986.
- "Measurements Of Wind Length Scales Over High Roughness (Forests) With ESDU Comparisons." 11th Australasian Fluid Mech. Conference, University of Tasmania, 14-18 Dec 1992.
- Co-authored with B. A. Gardiner.
- "Wind And Its Effects On Shelter System Design." Seminar on "Shelter And Its Effects On Crop Yields In Canterbury", Feb. 1993.
- "Wind And Its Effects On Plantation Forest Design." Seminar On "Shelter And Its Effects On Crop Yields In Canterbury", Feb. 1993.
Theses
- "Wind and its effects on (Canterbury) forests." Ph.D. thesis, U of Canterbury, 1985.