2009 Annual Awards

• Previous Recipients
• 2010 Application

International Award 2009 Award Recipient Dr. Donald G. Baird

SPE's most prestigious award, the International Award, recognizes lifetime achievements in the plastics industry. The award is sponsored by SPE's Engineering Properties & Structure Division. This year's recipient is Dr. Donald G. Baird, Harry G. Wyatt Professor in the Chemical Engineering Department of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Dr. Baird is internationally known for his expertise, research and teaching in the fields of polymer rheology, and polymer and polymer composites processing. Over the last 30 years, he has been the principal or co-principal investigator on research funding totaling more than$20 million. He has more than 200 publications, 10 book chapters, a textbook, and 8 patents to his credit. He is currently the co-Director of the Center for Composite Materials and Structures at Virginia Tech, is Associate Editor of SPE's premier journal, Polymer Engineering and Science, and was elected a Fellow of the Society of Plastics Engineers in 1997. Dr. Baird was one of the first engineers to study the rheological behavior of liquid crystalline polymers and he was able to bring an astute understanding to the various anomalies that have been observed for these complex fluids. His work on the transient extensional rheology of liquid crystal polymers is unique in the field and is basically the only data ever reported for these materials. He extended the fundamental knowledge from this research to the development of thermoplastic composites reinforced with thermotropic liquid crystal polymers. He then concentrated his efforts on learning how to produce microcomposites in order to achieve useful materials. He is also developing materials which are highly conductive, yet processable by means of compression molding, to form bipolar plates for fuel cells.




Education 2009 Award Recipient Dr. Robert A. Malloy

The Annual Award for Education honors an individual for excellence in education. Sponsored by SPE's Automotive Division and Detroit Section, the award is given in memory of Fred Schwab, a founding member of SPE. This year's recipient is Dr. Robert A. Malloy, Professor and Chair of the Plastics Engineering Department at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Dr. Malloy is an internationally known and respected faculty member, author, and innovator. He holds or co-holds 12 US and 2 European patents; has published over 60 journal and conference proceedings papers, two book chapters and two books; was the principal or co-principal investigator on $1.4 million in externally funded research grants and contracts; and was the founding editor of the SPE Journal of Injection Molding Technology. Dr. Malloy is responsible for the re-birth of the Plastics Engineering department at U-Mass Lowell and has facilitated a significant upgrade of the school's research facilities and classrooms. He promoted the development of new programs in nanomanufacturing and environmentally-friendly (green plastics) technology, and has been instrumental in the direction of the NSF NSEC Center of High Rate Nanomanufacturing and the Nanomanufacturing Center of Excellence at Lowell. He developed the first U-Mass Lowell program to be offered online - a series of certificate and online programs to make continuing education more available to people working in industry and to those from other universities around the world. He works diligently on the professional development of students on the graduate and undergraduate level, providing technical and networking events during each school year for student enrichment.