To: The Rensselaer Community
From: Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D.
President, Professor of Physics, Professor of Engineering Sciences

It is with sadness that I write to inform you of the recent passing of Professor Emeritus Ernest F. Nippes '38, an alumnus of the Institute and a beloved professor and administrator for many decades. He was 92.

After receiving his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Rensselaer in 1938, Dr. Nippes went on to earn his master's and doctoral degrees in metallurgical engineering from the Institute in 1940 and 1942, respectively.

Following several years as an assistant instructor and instructor, Dr. Nippes in 1945 was named an assistant professor in the Department of Materials Engineering at Rensselaer. He was promoted to full professor in 1954, and went on to serve as department head from 1961 to 1965. Following this, he served from 1965 to 1974 as director of the Division of Research and Sponsored Programs, which we now call Research Administration.

Dr. Nippes performed all of these roles diligently, with an eye to excellence and the application of science to the common purposes of life. He continued his work at the Institute as an active professor emeritus through 1990. Along with being an outdoorsman, history buff, and graceful dancer, Dr. Nippes was a champion of engineering education, and funded the Dr. Ernest F. Nippes '38 Graduate Research Enhancement Award for graduate students in materials engineering.

A prolific researcher and author, Dr. Nippes published more than 100 articles, and was editor of the ninth edition of the ASM International Metals Handbook: Welding, Brazing, and Soldering. As a researcher, he was a leading voice in metallurgy and materials, and he applied his expertise on the NASA Apollo and Gemini projects. He was one of three American welding leaders invited in 1961 to visit research centers in Moscow, Kiev, and Leningrad as part of a National Academy of Sciences delegation.

Dr. Nippes also is remembered as the inventor of the Gleeble, a unique metallurgical tool that revolutionized materials research thermal simulations in the 1950s, and ultimately paved the way for more advanced physical simulation techniques. In 1957 he co-founded the company Dynamic Systems Inc., with two fellow Rensselaer graduates to commercialize the device. The company continues to market and sell the Gleeble to this day.

For his service, leadership, and commitment to the Institute, Dr. Nippes received the 1990 Alumni Key Award and the 2005 Albert Fox Demers Medal from the Rensselaer Alumni Association. He also received the David M. Darrin Counseling Award from the Phalanx Honor Society, and the Rensselaer Alumni Association Teaching Award.

A Fellow of the American Society of Metal, Dr. Nippes received the 1956 Bradley Stoughton Award and 1983 Albert Easton White Distinguished Teacher Award from the organization. He was a member of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers, and American Society for Engineering Education. He was also an inaugural member of the Phi Kappa Tau Hall of Fame.

A memorial service for Dr. Nippes will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 5, 2010, at the Chapel and Cultural Center on the Rensselaer Troy Campus. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that contributions to the memory of Dr. Nippes be made to the Ernest F. Nippes '38 Graduate Research Enhancement Award at Rensselaer.

Dr. Nippes will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with Marilyn, his wife of 40 years, and their family in this time of grief.