Born in Scotland in 1936, Professor Whitelaw graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1957 and earned his doctorate from the same university in 1961. In 1961, he was also awarded a Doctor of Science in Engineering degree by the University of London.

Married and father of three children, he is currently Head of the Thermofluid Dynamics Section in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in London.

He is editor of major scientific journals such as Experiments in Fluids, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, and Internal Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer. He also serves on numerous research committees and editorial boards and acts as a consultant for leading companies in the aerospace and automotive industries.

He has published and edited numerous books and scientific articles and has received many international distinctions, including honorary doctorates from the University of Lisbon in 1980 and, more recently, from the Polytechnic University of Valencia.

An expert in fluid mechanics, and especially in the phenomena of mass and heat transfer, his main contributions to science have focused on the development of measurement techniques using both conventional and laser-based methods such as laser Doppler velocimetry (LDA) and their application to a wide range of engineering fields, including gas turbines, reciprocating engines, and burners.

He is a member of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society, the highest honors that can be awarded to a British scientist.