John W. Gillespie receives major composites award

Technical director of the Center for Composite Materials (CCM) and a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Gillespie is the first academic researcher to be selected for the award.

Gillespie was honored for his significant contributions to composites science and technology and his establishment of an internationally recognized research program.

Founded in 1932 and headquartered in Dearborn, Mich., SME is an international professional society with more than 60,000 members in 70 countries. The organization grants the Jud Hall Award annually to an individual who has contributed to the composites manufacturing profession through leadership, technical developments, patents or educational activities.

Gillespie, who has been conducting research in composites since 1978, joined CCM in 1981. He has been a leader in establishing major multidisciplinary programs with government/industry/academia partnerships, including the RAPTECH-ACM program, which developed and commercialized the automated thermoplastic tow-placement process for nonautoclave processing of aerospace structures. He also led UD's efforts in the application of composites to civil infrastructure, which recently culminated in the design, fabrication and installation of one of the nation's first state-owned, all-composite bridges.

Among the many scientific accomplishments for which Gillespie was recognized is the development of Diffusion-Enhanced Adhesion (DEA) and Co-Injection Resin Transfer Molding (CIRTM), new process technologies used in tandem for the manufacture of reduced-weight, multifunctional materials.

The technologies have been demonstrated on integral armor that exhibits improved multi-hit performance and naval structures that offer improved fire, smoke and toxicity (FST) properties. DEA/CIRTM also has potential use in marine, offshore and infrastructure applications such as bridge decks.

Gillespie and the two Army colleagues with whom he developed DEA/CIRTM were recognized in 1998 with the Paul A. Siple Award, the Army's highest award for scientific achievement.

Gillespie is also credited with facilitating technology transition from academia to the private sector. In 1997, DEA was one of only 17 technologies nationwide to be featured in a Department of Defense publication Defense Basic Research-Rapid Transition from the Laboratory to the Field.

In addition to holding several patents and authoring more than 325 publications, Gillespie has been a strong force in the education of scientists and engineers for key positions in academia, industry and government.

He has not only directly supervised the research of some 50 graduate students during his career but also facilitated the integration of a large number of undergraduate students into CCM's interdisciplinary research programs through the center's Undergraduate Research Program.

Gillespie recently was named to the National Research Council's Board on Manufacturing and Engineering Design (BMAED), which provides guidance on leading issues in manufacturing that derive from technical considerations with implications for national policy.

He holds bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, all in mechanical engineering, from UD.

Gillespie will receive his award Feb. 24, during the Composites Manufacturing and Tooling 2000 Conference and Exhibits in Newport Beach, Calif.

Vol. 19, No. 13

Dec. 2, 1999

Vol. 19, No. 13

Dec. 2, 1999

John W. Gillespie receives
major composites award