Montgomery T. Shaw

University of Connecticut

1943 – Present

Chemical Engineer

Fellow, Elected 2018

Montgomery T. Shaw has made important scientific and engineering contributions. His technical work that spans over four decades contributed to the fundamental understanding of extensional flows of polymers, the elucidation of the causes of sharkskin melt fracture in extrusion processes, the design and understanding of electrorheological fluids, the thermodynamics and rheology of polymer blends, the design of rheological instrumentation, the relationship between melt rheology and molecular weight of polymers, the aging of polymers and the design and properties of polymer-based biomedical materials.

In addition, Prof. Shaw has made major scholarship and educational contributions. He has written four books: (1) Polymer-Polymer Miscibility (Academic Press, 1979), co-authored with L.M. Robeson and O. Olabisi, which is considered the seminal monograph on polymer blends; (2) Computer Programs for Rheologists (Hanser Publ., 1994), co-authored with G.V. Gordon, which provides ready-to-use computer programs for rheology data manipulation and analyses, (3) Introduction to Polymer Rheology (Wiley, 2012), a graduate textbook; and the 4th Edition of An Introduction to Polymer Viscoelasticity (Wiley, 2018), co-authored with W.J. MacKnight. In addition to his four books, he has published 13 book chapters, over 160 refereed journal articles and more than 150 conference proceedings. He has two U.S. patents and he has presented over 200 talks at scientific conferences and short-courses.

Prof. Shaw has served The Society of Rheology in multiple and important offices over the period of his career. He has contributed in a major way to the health and viability of the Society itself. He has served in multiple capacities, the most important being his tenure as Treasurer from 1997 until 2015. During this time he provided leadership and an important voice to the Society Executive Committee that made possible many important changes in SOR operations. He oversaw the budget issues related to the expansion of student travel grants, the institution of major financial support for the Bingham Medal and for the newer Metzner Award. Treasurer Shaw contributed to the SOR and its future financial stability by rigor, attention to detail and the ability to lead the Society officers towards the proposed goals in fiscally responsible ways.