John W. Gillespie Jr.

John W. Gillespie Jr. is the Donald C. Phillips Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Delaware, with joint appointments in Materials Science and Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. He leads four Centers of Excellence in composites research and directs the Center for Composite Materials. A global authority in composites, his work focuses on multifunctional materials, interphase science, and composites manufacturing. He has contributed over 800 publications and 19 patents, advising 56 Master’s and 38 Ph.D. students.

• Education: PhD, MS, BS in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering from University of Delaware.
• Leadership: Served on National Research Council Board and National Materials Advisory Board.

Research interests include processing-structure-property relationships, durability, and multi-scale modeling of composites. His work addresses real-world challenges in aerospace, defense, and microelectronics.

Awards include the U.S. Army’s Paul A. Siple Memorial Award (1998), Jud Hall Composites Award (2000), and Fellowships from Society of Manufacturing Engineers (2013) and SAMPE (2015).

Advising and grants: 38 doctoral graduates and over 60 industrial consortium partners. Active in editorial roles for Journal of Thermoplastic Composite Materials since 1993.