R Byron Bird
R. Byron Bird (known as “Bob” to his friends) is well known for his pioneering research in non-Newtonian fluid dynamics, especially as it relates to polymers, as well as macromolecular kinetic theory and transport phenomena. He is the coauthor of four widely used books (the backgrounds of which are described in the following Retrospective) and approximately 125 research papers and 50 review articles which involve these research areas.
Professor Bird received a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1947, and his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin in 1950. His long career in the Chemical Engineering Department at Wisconsin began in 1953, where he became full Professor in 1957, was Department Chairman 1964–1968, and Vilas Research Professor until 1992, when he “retired” from the university. He has also been visiting professor at Kyoto University, Nagoya University, University of California at Berkeley,...
