Sparks-Thomas Award

Recent Recipients

Dr. John M. Baldwin - 2009

Dr. John M. Baldwin, senior managing scientist in Exponent’s Vehicle Engineering practice, will be receiving the Sparks-Thomas Award at the Spring 2009 Rubber Division meeting. This award, sponsored by ExxonMobil Chemical, is to recognize and encourage outstanding scientific contributions and innovations in the field of elastomers by younger scientists, technologists and engineers.

Baldwin’s expertise includes polymer science and technology, specializing in the synthesis, compounding, degradation (chemical/physical) and testing of elastomer, plastic, adhesive and foam based systems.

Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Baldwin worked in the research laboratory of Ford Motor, where he became internationally recognized for his research on the topics of tire aging, tire test development, tire service life prediction, and the use of nitrogen as a tire inflation media. Before joining Ford Research, Dr. Baldwin worked in the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Department, where he researched and implemented high volume, automated adhesive, sealer and structural foam dispensing processes, along with automated in-process quality tests. Based on his professional and academic background, Baldwin was placed on a major tire recall root cause analysis team, where he was responsible for developing, coordinating and implementing the chemical and physical testing of thousands of new and recalled tires.

Dr. Baldwin worked for the 3M Company prior to joining Ford. While working in the 3M Automotive Division, he developed and serviced a line of two-part structural epoxy adhesives that were sold to automotive manufacturers and the aftermarket. As a member of 3M Occupational Health and Environmental Specialties Division, he was responsible for the material research and development, as well as the process engineering, of the blown microfiber nonwoven filter media used in maintenance-free respirators.

Baldwin holds an appointment as an adjunct associate professor of chemistry at Oakland University in Rochester, MI, where he teaches classes in polymer synthesis and polymer characterization.

Baldwin received his Ph.D. in polymer science at The University of Akron in 1992. He earned his B.S. in chemistry at the University of Detroit in 1986.

Dr. Christopher G. Robertson - 2008

Dr. Christopher G. Robertson is an internationally respected expert in the area of experimental polymer physics. His research contributions are mainly focused on viscoelastic properties, including the study of nonlinear dynamic behavior of particle-reinforced elastomers, segmental relaxation dynamics of polymers and thermorheological complexity.

He received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and then spent two years as a postdoctoral research associate in polymer physics at the Naval Research Laboratory. Since then, Robertson has been involved with industrial research, first at ExxonMobil Chemical and now at Bridgestone Americas where he is currently a senior research scientist.

Robertson is co-author of over 30 peer-reviewed publications and 12 patents/patents pending. The Society of Plastics Engineers honored Dr. Robertson with the Netzsch Instruments Frank Giblin Memorial Award in Polymer Analysis in 1998. He is active in the Rubber Division of the American Chemical Society where he is involved with co-organizing symposia and serving on the Program Planning Committee.

 

Dr. William V. Mars - 2007

Dr. Mars is an internationally recognized leader in the area of failure mechanics of rubber components. Dr. Will's professional activity has focused generally on applying experimental and computational mechanics in pursuit of better-performing rubber products. His experiences and contributions span a topic range including material characterization, product evaluation, constitutive modeling, crack nucleation, fracture mechanics, and fatigue life prediction methods. He has published more than 30 articles and he has one patent. He obtained his BSME, with a polymer specialization, at The University of Akron, and his PhD at the University of Toledo. He is currently employed in the Research Department at Cooper Tire & Rubber Company. He is also an adjunct faculty member in the MIME Department at the University of Toledo, where he has taught graduate courses in continuum mechanics and fracture mechanics.

 

 

Past Recipients

1. 2009 - John M. Baldwin
2. 2008 - Christopher G. Robertson
3. 2007 - William V. Mars - Fatigue Life Prediction for Elastomer Structures
4. 2006 - Vassilios Galiatsatos
5. 2005 - Mark D. Foster
6. 2004 - Andy H. Tsou
7. 1998 - Anthony J. Dias - RC&T Vol. 71 (3)
8. 1997 - Maria D. Ellul - RC&T Vol. 70 (3)
9. 1993 - Walter H. Waddell - RC&T Vol. 66 (3)
10. 1991 - C. Michael Roland - RC&T Vol. 64 (3)
11. 1990 - Robert P. Lattimer - RC&T Vol. 63 (3)
12. 1987 - Gary R. Hamed - RC&T Vol. 60 (3)