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 research university in Troy, New York, with an additional campus in Hartford, Connecticut. A third campus in Groton, Connecticut closed in 2018. RPI was established in 1824 by Stephen Van ...

. He was born on August 14, 1941, in

Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population of 393,406 in 2020, is t ...

. 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 Louisiana Tech University (Louisiana Tech, La. Tech, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Ruston, Louisiana. It is part of the University of Louisiana System and classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activi ...

in 1964, an M.S. in engineering from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

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. The university was founded in 1895 and was in the Texas A&M University System for several decades until joining the University of Te ...

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

Drexel University Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Art, S ...

. In 1974, he joined the

University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 mas ...

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 (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III a ...

. 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, Hampton, Virginia, United States, United States of America, is the oldest of NASA's NASA facilities#List of field centers, field centers. It directly borders Langle ...

. In 2001, he joined the

University of Akron The University of Akron is a public research university in Akron, Ohio. It is part of the University System of Ohio. As a STEM-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advanced materials, and engineering. It is classified ...

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 land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...

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, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Engineering is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy ...

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 ...

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, with most chapters established in the United States. It honors mechanical engineering students who have exemplified the "principles of scholarship, characte ...

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