Pipes receives honorary degree from University of Edinburgh

At the University of Edinburgh's School of Engineering graduation ceremony in July, Purdue's John L. Bray Distinguished Professor of Engineering R. Byron Pipes received Doctor Honoris Causa.
After the ceremony awarding AAE Professor R. Byron Pipes, John L. Bray Distinguished Professor of Engineering, an honorary degree at the University of Edinburgh, Pipes (middle front) was joined by Edinburgh's Acting Vice Chancellor Charlie Jeffery (left front), head of Edinburgh's School of Engineering and Professor Conchúr M. Ó Brádaigh (right front), current Purdue doctoral student Eduardo Barocio (left rear) and another member of the University Court (right rear). All are shown wearing the white bow tie, an Edinburgh tradition for male graduation participants.
After the ceremony awarding AAE Professor R. Byron Pipes, John L. Bray Distinguished Professor of Engineering, an honorary degree at the University of Edinburgh, Pipes (middle front) was joined by Edinburgh's Acting Vice Chancellor Charlie Jeffery (left front), head of Edinburgh's School of Engineering and Professor Conchúr M. Ó Brádaigh (right front), current Purdue doctoral student Eduardo Barocio (left rear) and another member of the University Court (right rear). All are shown wearing the white bow tie, an Edinburgh tradition for male graduation participants.

R. Byron Pipes, John L. Bray Distinguished Professor of Engineering at Purdue, received the honorary degree of Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Edinburgh in July.

R. Byron Pipes
R. Byron Pipes

Pipes received the degree during the School of Engineering graduation ceremony in McEwan Hall on the Edinburgh campus. It was conferred by Acting Vice Chancellor Charlie Jeffery, who touched Pipes’ head with the graduation cap thought to be made with material from John Knox’s breeches.

The honor was bestowed in recognition of Pipes’ international leadership of engineering research in lightweight composite materials. Pipes, who was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1987, has a joint appointment in chemical engineering, materials engineering, and aerospace engineering at Purdue.

During his speech at the ceremony, Pipes thanked University of Edinburgh faculty, current and past Vice Chancellors, and Professors Charlie Jeffery, Sir Timothy O’Shea and Conchúr M. Ó Brádaigh.

The moment carried particular significance for Pipes, whose family roots trace back to Scotland. His ancestors moved to Northern Ireland and spent over a century there before immigrating to the United States in the 1730s.

“It is in the Pipes family honor that I gratefully accept this award,” Pipes said during his speech. “I take great pride in my Scottish ancestral heritage.”

Pipes was joined at the ceremony by former and current doctoral students: Brádaigh, the head of Edinburgh’s School of Engineering, was Pipes’ student at Delaware in 1991, and Eduardo Barocio currently is pursuing a Ph.D in materials engineering under Pipes’ guidance at Purdue.

Publish date: August 3, 2018