Robert Byron Pipes (born 1941) is an educator, researcher in polymer sciences and was the seventeenth president of

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (; RPI) is a private university, private research university in Troy, New York, United States. It is the oldest technological university in the English-speaking world and the Western Hemisphere. It was establishe ...

. He was born on August 14, 1941, in

Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, third-most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge. The bulk of Shreveport is in Caddo Parish, Lo ...

. He and his wife Ruth Ellen (whom he married on June 27, 1964) had two children: Christopher and Mark. He received a B.S. in civil engineering from Louisiana Polytechnic Institute in 1964, an M.S. in engineering from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

in 1969 and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the

University of Texas at Arlington The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA or UT Arlington) is a public research university in Arlington, Texas, United States. It is the second oldest university in the University of Texas System and was founded in 1895. It was in the Texas A& ...

in 1972. From 1972 to 1974, he was an assistant professor in mechanical engineering at

Drexel University Drexel University is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony Joseph Drexel, Anthony J. Drexel, a financier ...

. In 1974, he joined the

University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially known as UD, UDel, or Delaware) is a Statutory college#Delaware, privately governed, state-assisted Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Newark, Delaware, United States. UD offers f ...

as associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, rising to professor of mechanical engineering in 1980, dean of the College of Engineering in 1985 and provost and vice-president for academic affairs in 1991. From 1978 to 1985, he was director of the Center for Composite Materials at the University of Delaware and from 1989 to 1993, he was Robert L. Spencer Professor of Engineering. In 1993, he was elected president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. However, he had a difficult relationship with the faculty, which felt that it did not have a voice in how faculty and administrator openings were filled. The faculty senate decided on April 1, 1998, to hold a faculty-wide no-confidence vote. The following day, he announced that he was resigning effective July 1, 1998. From 1998 to 2001, he was a distinguished visiting scientist at the

College of William and Mary The College of William & Mary (abbreviated as W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1693 under a royal charter issued by King William III and Queen Mary II, it is the second-oldest instit ...

. During this time, he conducted research on carbon nanotechnology at the

NASA Langley Research Center The Langley Research Center (LaRC or NASA Langley), located in Hampton, Virginia, near the Chesapeake Bay front of Langley Air Force Base, is the oldest of NASA's field centers. LaRC has focused primarily on aeronautical research but has also ...

. In 2001, he joined the

University of Akron The University of Akron is a public university, public research university in Akron, Ohio, United States. It is part of the University System of Ohio. As a STEM fields, STEM-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advance ...

as the Goodyear Professor of Polymer Engineering and director of the Akron Global Polymer Academy. In 2004, he was appointed the John L. Bray Distinguished Professor of Engineering at

Purdue University Purdue University is a Public university#United States, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded ...

Honors and awards

In 1987, Pipes was elected a member of the

National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American Nonprofit organization, nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. It is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), along with the National Academ ...

for interdisciplinary leadership in composite materials research, and for development of an exemplary model of university, industrial, and governmental interactions in research and education. In 1993, he became a member of the Swedish Royal Academy of Engineering. He received the Outstanding Research Award from the American Society of Composites in 1994. He is a fellow of the

American Society of Mechanical Engineers The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is an American professional association that, in its own words, "promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe" via "continuing edu ...

and the Society for Advanced Materials and Process Engineering. In 1983, he received the Gustus L. Larson Memorial Award from

Pi Tau Sigma Pi Tau Sigma () is an international honor society in the field of mechanical engineering. The society was established in 1915 at the University of Illinois. It has 182 chapters. History Pi Tau Sigma was established on March 16, 1915, at the Un ...

and the ASME.

Books

* Adams, Donald F, Carlsson, Leif A. and Pipes, R. Byron, (2002) ''Experimental Characterization of Advanced Composite Materials, Third Edition'', CRC. * Whitney, James M., Daniel, Isaac M. and Pipes, R. Byron, (1984) ''Experimental Mechanics of Fiber Reinforced Composite Materials'', The Society for Experimental Mechanics, * Dhingra, Aslok K. and Pipes, R. Byron (1982) ''New Composite Materials and Technology'', American Institute of Chemical Engineers, * Zweben, Carl H., Kulkarni, Satish V. and Pipes, R. Byron, (1978) ''Composite Materials in the Automobile Industry'', American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pipes, R. Byron Presidents of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Louisiana Tech University alumni University of Texas at Arlington alumni Princeton University alumni University of Delaware faculty Purdue University faculty University of Akron faculty Drexel University faculty Living people 1941 births Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering People from Shreveport, Louisiana