The WTC III Oversight Committee is proud to announce the following four plenary speakers as part of the technical program:

Pierre-Gilles de Gennes
Nobel Laureate in Physics, 1991

Presentation: "Brownian Motion With Dry Friction"
Biography: View P.G. de Gennes' Bio

Van C. Mow
Stanley Dicker Professor and Chairman, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University

Presentation: "Animal Joint Lubrication: Nature's 'Fail-Safe' Mechanisms and What Happens When it Fails"
Biography: View Van C. Mow's Bio

Dr. James A. Spearot
Director of the Chemical and Environmental Sciences Laboratory, General Motors Research and Development Center

Presentation: "Tribology in the Automotive Industry- A Critical Enabler for Improved Efficiency, Productivity and Performance"
Biography: James A. (Jim) Spearot was appointed Director of the Chemical and Environmental Sciences Laboratory at the General Motors Research and Development Center in August 1998.

His laboratory's mission is to develop cost-effective environmental strategies and systems for General Motors' products and processes. Key research areas for the laboratory include fuel-cell and energy-storage systems, low-cost emissions control technology, environmental systems for material processing, fuel and lubricant systems for advanced powertrains, life-cycle analysis and advanced analytical measurements. Additionally, Dr. Spearot serves as Chief Scientist for GM's Public Policy Center and is the Manager of GM's Hydrogen Storage Innovation Program.

A native of Hartford, Connecticut, Dr. Spearot was born on April 26, 1945. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Syracuse University in 1967, and a master's and doctorate, also in chemical engineering, from the University of Delaware, in 1970 and 1972, respectively.

Dr. Spearot began his GM career in 1972 as an Assistant Senior Research Engineer in the Fuels and Lubricants Department. He held positions of increasing responsibility, including Principal Research Engineer and Section Manager of Surface and Rheological Studies that led to his appointment as Department Head of Fuels and Lubricants in 1992.

He is a member of several organizations: the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), the Society of Rheology, the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). He is a former chairman of the SAE Fuels and Lubricants Division and a former Chairman of the Coordinating Research Council (CRC). He has also served as Chairman of the Fuels Working Group of USCAR. His professional honors include: an ASTM Award for Excellence in 1990; the Arch T. Colwell Merit Award from the SAE in 1987; and the Award for Research on Automotive Lubricants, also from the SAE in 1987.

Wilfried J. Bartz
Professor, Technische Akademie Esslingen

Presentation: "Tribological Aspects of Wind Power Plants"
Biography: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wilfried J. Bartz has been in the forefront of the tribology field for decades and has contributed immensely by his innovative research and teaching. During his 40 years of practical, scientific and pedagogical experience, he has been a strong advocate of ecotribology and has been in the forefront of the movement to increase awareness of environmental and health issues as they relate to tribology and lubrication practices. He played a key role in organizing the WTC-2001 in Austria, and we welcome him to WTC-2005 as one of the conference's distinguished plenary lecturers.

Career Highlights
Ph.D. from University of Hanover in Germany. Lubrication engineer in mineral oil industry from 1961 to 1963. Head of Department of Tribology and Lubrication Engineering at the Institute of Petroleum Research, Germany, from 1963 to 1976. Since 1976, managing and scientific director of Esslingen Academy. Professor of tribology at Esslingen and University of Stuttgart. Organizes international conference at Esslingen. Organizer and lecturer in more than 20 courses at a variety of international meetings.

Writing and Publishing
Editor of German Tribology and Lubrication Engineering magazine. Member of several editorial boards for tribology journals. Author of more than 400 scientific and technical publications in national and international magazines and books. Author and editor of numerous books.

Affiliations and Awards

• Member of STLE, NLGI and numerous other European and international tribology groups.
• The Distinguished Service Cross of Germany (1996)
• The Cross for Merit for Science and Art, 1st Cl. (Austria) (2001)
• (2001) Tribology Gold Medal
• The Georg-Vogelpohl-Ehrenzeichen (1990)
• The STLE International Award (2001)
• Honorary Doctor of Science of V.A. Belyi Metal-Polymer
• Research Institute, Gomel, Belorussia (2001)

Prof. Bartz currently heads a technical consulting and training firm which offers the following expert services:

• Professional and continuing education organised by the T + LE Academy
• Consulting for development, tests and application of lubricants and tribologic systems
• Literature research regarding tribological questions
• Failure analyses and expert assessment of tribological systems