Dr. James E. McGrath
Record of Service
Service to the Profession
Service to the Public
Service to the University
Service to the Department

Service to the Profession

  1. American Chemical Society; Polymer Division; Rubber Division; Coatings and Plastics; and, Chemical Education Division
  2. Akron Polymer Lecture Group Speaker Committee, 1963-1965 Treasurer, 1964-1965
  3. North Jersey Polymer Group Councilor, 1970 Secretary-Treasurer, 1971 Chairman-Elect, 1972 Chairman, 1973
  4. Editor, "Polymer Preprints," 1971 to 1975
  5. Editorial Board, "Macromolecules," 1971 to 1975
  6. New York Academy of Science, Polymer Science Section Vice-Chairman, 1973-1975 Chairman, 1976
  7. Science Education Committee Member, 1975
  8. Science and Public Policy Committee Member, 1975
  9. Society of Plastics Engineers, 1973 to Present Program Committee, 1978-81 Engineering and Structure Division, 1978
  10. Secretary of the Polymer Division of the American Chemical Society, 1978-1980
  11. Vice-Chairman, Polymer Division, 1984 Chairman-Elect, Polymer Division, 1985 Chairman, Polymer Division, 1986, Past-Chair
  12. Chairman, Gordon Conference on Elastomers, 1979 Vice Chairman, Gordon Conference on Polymers, 1986 Chairman, Gordon Conference on Polymers, 1987: Chair, High Performance Thermosetting Materials, 1991.
  13. Referee for several journals (Macromolecules, J. Polymer Science-Chemistry, Polymer Engineering & Science, J. Appl. Poly. Sci., Industrial Engineering Chemistry).
  14. Referee of Proposals for the National Science Foundation (Chemistry Division and the Materials Division), the Army Research Office, and the Petroleum Research Fund (ACS).
  15. Editorial Board, Polymer Bulletin (Springer-Verlag).
  16. Advisory Board, Industrial Engineering Chemistry (New Product Development).
  17. Advisory Board, Advances in Polymeric Science
  18. Editorial Board, Journal of Polymer Science
  19. Editoral Advisory Board, Journal of Applied Polymer Science
  20. Member, National Materials Advisory Board Committee on Assessment of Materials for Submarine Hull Insulation, Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems, and National Research Council (Report was completed in 1986).
  21. Editorial Board, POLYMER, the international journal for the science and technology of polymers, published by Butterworth Scientific Ltd., P. 0. Box 63, Guildford, UK
  22. Advisory Board - The Petroleum Research Fund, 1984-88
  23. Gordon Research Conference on Polymers, June 28-July 3, 1987, Chairman
  24. Past-Chairman, Polymer Division, 1987
  25. Referee of Proposals for the National Science Foundation (Chemistry Division and the Materials Division), the Army Research Office, and the Petroleum Research Fund (ACS).
  26. Editorial Board, Polymer Bulletin (Springer-Verlag), 1987
  27. Editorial Board, Rubber Reviews, 1987
  28. Editorial Board, Journal of Polymer Science, 1987-present
  29. Editoral Board, Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 1987
  30. Member, Society of Plastic Engineers
  31. Chairman, US-France NSF Workshop on the Chemistry of Macromolecular Materials, April 1988
  32. On the editoral boards of Polymer (London), J. Polymer Science, Polymer Bulletin, and New Polymeric Materials (1989)
  33. Advisory Board, Journal of Polymer Science, Part A: Polymer Chemistry, May 1989-
  34. Councilor, Polymer Division of the American Chemical Society, 1990
  35. Editorial Board, High Performance Polymeric Polymers, 1990-present
  36. Editorial Board, Polymer (London), 1990-present
  37. Editorial Board, Progress in Polymer Science - An International Review Journal, 1990-1992
  38. Editorial Review Board, SAMPE Quarterly, 1991-present
  39. Editorial Board, J. Polymer Science, 1991-present
  40. Editorial Board, Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers, 1991-present
  41. Editorial Board, Polymer Bulletin, 1980-1992
  42. External Advisory Comm., High Performance Polymers and Ceramics Center, Clark Atlanta University
  43. Board of Directors, ChemFab Inc., New Hampshire, 1993-present
  44. Appointed to the Fire Safety Report Committee by the National Academy of Science/National Research Council (NAS/NRC)
  45. Editorial Board, Journal of Macromolecular Science —Pure and Applied Chemistry, 1996 to present
  46. Member, Materials Technology Vision 2020 Committee, 1998-1999
  47. Panel Member, Dept. of the Navy, Naval Research Laboratory, Core External Review Panel, 1998
  48. Member, Materials Engineering Peer Committee for the National Academy of Engineering 2000 Election (2/1/99 – 1/31/2002).
  49. Member, 1999 Committee of Visitors for the Division of Materials Research, National Science Foundation.
  50. Member of the Board, The Plastics Academy, 2001 to present
  51. Invited Member, National Science Foundation Nanoscale Working Group, January 10, 2001
  52. Member, Advisory Board for the Center for Advanced Engineering Fibers and Films, Clemson University, Clemson, SC

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 Service to the Public:
  1. Conceived and organized "Polymer Chemistry: Principles and Practice," "Polymer Synthesis: Fundamentals and Techniques," and "Characterization of Polymers," which are the only ACS-sponsored experimental short courses in Polymer Chemistry. The courses are held on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. They have been successfully conducted for governmental and industrial audiences for over 25 years (with Drs. T. C. Ward and G. L. Wilkes), and at last count (Spring 2001), 3,405 continuing education students have participated in these highly popular courses. In addition, they attract national and international attention to Virginia Tech (e.g., ACS routinely sends course announcements to 50,000 people). Seven other short course (lecture only) are also presented in various other industrial and academic settings.
  2. Consultant to 3M Corporation
  3. Have consulted with a number of other firms and government agencies on a periodic basis
  4. Member, National Materials Advisory Board, National Academy of Science, 1992- Present
  5. Testified before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Science, Advanced Materials, September 21, 1992.

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Service to the University
  1. Co-Director, Polymer Materials and Interfaces Laboratory, 1978-present
  2. Advisory Committee, Materials Engineering Science Program, 1976-present
  3. University Patent Committee, Graduate Committee
  4. Chairman, Polymer Group, Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, Virginia Center for Innovative Technology, 1986-present
  5. CCMS Adminstrative Board, 1986-87
  6. CASS Advisory Board, 1987
  7. VIMS Advisory Board, 1988-present
  8. Materials Engineering Review Committee, 1988
  9. Director, NSF Science and Technology Center, February 1989- Present
  10. Chairman, Polymer Group, Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, Virginia Center for Innovative Technology (1990)
  11. CCMS Techical Review Standing Committee, 1991

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Service to the Department
  1. Steering Committee, 1977, 1978, 1983, 1992, 1993
  2. Career Advisor, 1976 to 1986
  3. Advisor, ACS Affiliates, 1976 to 1983 (Outstanding Awards, 1980, 1982)
  4. Development Committee, 1977
  5. Organized Program for Industrial Advisor Committee, 1976
  6. Building Committee, 1977
  7. Personnel Committee, 1981 to 1983
  8. Recruiting Committee, 1976 to 1989

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Updated 4/16/2008
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