Sparks-Thomas Award

Recent Recipients

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