Dr. Nick R. Schott
University of Massachusetts Lowell
Inducted 2024
Professor Nick R. Schott (1939 – ) made significant contributions to the advancement of plastics technology. His pioneering teaching, research, and consultancy in plastics processes led to groundbreaking developments that revolutionized the plastic industry.
Dr. Schott played a pivotal role in educating and inspiring thousands of students, many of whom are now leaders in the field. His passion for teaching and mentorship shaped the industry’s future by cultivating a new generation of plastics engineers and scientists.
Born in Yugoslavia, Schott was a refugee in Germany from 1947 to 1952, when his family moved to the United States. He completed an AA degree in Chemistry at City College of San Francisco in 1962, finished his BS in Chemical Engineering at UC Berkeley, and earned an MS and PhD at the University of Arizona.
In 1971, after briefly working in the plastics industry, Schott was hired as an instructor in Plastics Technology at Lowell Technological Institute, today the University of Massachusetts Lowell. During his 40 years on the faculty, he taught process control and process theory courses and was a research advisor to more than 100 graduate students. He advanced to Full Professor and served 18 years as the UML Plastics Engineering Department Chair before retiring in 2010.
Dr. Schott helped make Lowell’s Plastics Engineering Department a plastics engineering education and research leader. His vision and solutions transformed it from a regional program to an internationally recognized program.
When Schott joined Lowell, there were no accredited Plastics Engineering Programs in the United States. He coordinated an effort to apply for accreditation, and the department’s undergraduate program was granted ABET “Plastics Engineering” Accreditation in 1977.
Schott helped establish an exchange program with Technische Hochschule Rosenheim in Germany and fostered exchanges with Tamagawa University in Japan. A previous exchange program with Shenkar College has been more active since UML was granted a doctoral degree in plastics engineering.
Professor Schott has been a member of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) since 1971. He was named a fellow of SPE in 1986 and is a founding member of the SPE Product Design and Development Division. He has authored or co-authored numerous papers and books about plastic engineering. He has been extremely active in many engineering organizations and is a member of AICHE, ACS, and ASEE.
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