Alumni Stories
I joined CCM as a researcher after my Ph.D. (2009-2014). I worked under the guidance of Dr. Joseph Deitzel and Dr. Jack Gillespie. Joe is an excellent scientist and he was also my mentor. About Jack, I would like to say that he is one of the best scientists, engineers, and professors that I have ever come across in my life. Jack’s dedication to Science, Technology, and People Development is unparalleled and he has highly influenced my thought processes and my problem-solving capability.
For future CCM students, I would like to say that if you are inquisitive, if you are an explorer, and if you like to attack problems to solve them, CCM is the right place for you. They have both personnel and equipment to mentor you and help you build a bright future.
Lastly, I would like to say thanks to CCM’s current staff, past staff/students whom I met during my stay, and all current CCM students; YOU make this place a great one, and thank you for everything that you do!
It was one of the highest honors of my life to be the Director of CCM during one of the most exciting growth periods of its 50-year existence. CCM’s national and international impact was accelerated by the NSF ERC (Engineering Research Center) and the Army URI (University Research Initiative) programs to augment the existing Industry Consortium support. Along with the generous grant from ICI to complete the fundraising for the new Composites Manufacturing Research Laboratory, we were able to grow our capabilities for serving the research and education of our students and industry partners.
The team of faculty, staff and students came together to make the most of the opportunities. From this strong base, CCM has continued to be a leader in composites research and education for which the University and State of Delaware can be rightfully proud.
My association with CCM actually precedes the center. I was Jack Vinson’s first Masters student and his second Ph.D. and completed my studies by 1970. By 1974-75, I was with Celanese Corp. in Summit NJ and I still remember the day that Jack Vinson and Byron Pipes visited us and described the CCM concept and asked for our support. Celanese became one of the eight original industrial sponsors.
My entire career has revolved around carbon composite materials. My first efforts involved design and feasibility studies. In the 1975-80 era, when we were trying to push composites into the consumer and industrial markets, I worked on diverse products such as sailboat masts, automotive drive shafts, golf clubs, fishing rods, hockey sticks, pressure vessels, chemical piping, and leaf springs. Still with Celanese, I interfaced with aerospace companies using composites. I was involved with the very first carbon composite material qualification at Boeing Commercial Airplane Co.
In 1984, I became an independent consultant to the industry, and for the next 35 years worked with many companies to bring their composite ideas to market. This included design, prototype fabrication, material testing and qualification. I also advised material supply companies in bringing their fiber, fabric, and resin products to the market. One very significant effort was to work with the Civil Engineering community to prove the effectiveness of carbon and fiberglass overwraps in strengthening concrete structures.
I have also tried to give something back to the academic and educational sectors. As an Adjunct Professor, I have been teaching mechanics and composites courses for almost 20 years at Rutgers. And I was the originator of the SAMPE Bridge Building contest, which has, since 1998, involved over 3000 university students.
My composites career started at Delaware with courses that had no text books. Without Jack Vinson, my path would have been much different. I have been fortunate to have witnessed the growth of carbon composites from a structural curiosity in the 1970’s to an essential element in structures today using millions of pounds of fiber per year.
Congratulations to UD’s Center for Composite Materials on your milestone of 50 years. I count myself
among the many students whose time spent in Newark as some of the most influential and important in
my career…and in my life.
It’s been over 30 years since I was studying there, but I still remember it like yesterday. The classes were hard. The faculty was outstanding. I lived in the labs and loved it. All in, it was the perfect place for students who enjoyed being challenged and had the ambition and interest to make a positive difference in our world through composite technology.
I had the particular honor of studying under the tenures of both Dr. Roy McCullough and Dr. Jack Gillespie – both pioneers in our space, and both great people who wanted the best for their students.
There was a certain cachet I could feel, even in my earliest days a grad student. Discussion my own research in my ‘20s to world renowned composite leaders will do that. I’ll also admit it was a little intimidating, but those are the types of experiences that helped shape me. I’ve carried that with me throughout my career.
Our strong brand and prestige continue to grow, just as our incredible alumni network does. It’s strong and connected, and we are contributing in some of the most dynamic markets and applications of our time. Where composites saw a great adoption in aerospace, they’re everywhere now. And so are we.
The future for all of us, former and current students, is brighter than ever.
Congratulations and thank you to the Center of Composite Materials on all you have accomplished over
last 50 years. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the next 50!
Throughout my 53-year career at the University of Delaware and particularly my association with CCM, I consider myself a very lucky person. Even though I contributed to the founding of this remarkable institute, the continued success of CCM has been the result of hard work of numerous faculty, staff and students, particularly the dedication and leadership of Dr. Jack Gillespie in the past 30 years as director of CCM. We all share the common purpose of making CCM an even better place for higher learning in composites as well as the pride for having been part of the Center in various stages of its development. I wish CCM all the best.