President

Donald Burlett

Gates Corporation
2975 Waterview Drive
Rochester Hills, Michigan 48309
USA


Telephone (work): 248-829-3743
Fax: 248-260-1071

E-mail: baikalteal13@netzero.com

Donald J. Burlett, B.Sc. (SUNY Oswego, 1971), Ph.D. (U. Cincinnati, 1976), is currently a Research Scientist with The Gates Corporation, Rochester Hills, Michigan, USA. He worked for Goodyear for over 25 years as an organic and polymer chemist and now works for Gates Corporation as a senior scientist. His work has covered all aspects of polymer chemistry and its application to tires and power transmission systems (belts, damper pulleys, etc.). This has included thermal analysis and calorimetry of polymers and other

associated materials. Oxidation of materials, polymer-filler interactions, curative chemistry, reaction kinetics, material characterization, quality control and other topics are part of his background. His work has resulted in 18 patents and a number of publications and presentations in the field.

His involvement in thermal analysis began in 1983 when he joined NATAS and attended his first conference in Philadelphia. He has since remained an active member of both NATAS and a local group in the northeastern Ohio region (NCTAS). Beginning in 1991, he progressed through a series of conference positions (program co-chair through conference chair - 1994 in Toronto). He was President of NATAS in 1996, the same year NATAS hosted the ICTAC meeting in Philadelphia. Since that time, he has served as Executive Councilor (1997) and Publications Councilor (1998-2001) while chairing various committees (long range planning, NATAS Notes editor, ICTAC councilor, etc.)

He became an ICTAC member in 1991 and attended the Philadelphia and Copenhagen meetings (the latter representing NATAS as an affiliate councilor.) At the 8th ESTAC meeting (Barcelona) in 2002, he was appointed Chairman of the Scientific Commission. He was recently elected Vice-President at the Congress on Sardinia.