Cris J. Schwartz, Ph.D., P.E.
Assistant Professor

Office: 207 Engineering/Physics Building Office Wing
Phone: 979-845-9591
Fax: 979-845-3081
Email: cschwartz@tamu.edu

EDUCATION
Doctor of Philosophy, Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, 2006
||||• Dissertation: Investigation of the performance of articular cartilage and synthetic biomaterials in multi-directional sliding motion as in orthopedic implants
Master of Science, Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, 1998
||||• Thesis: Effect of particle and transfer film characteristics on the wear of polyphenylene sulfide filled with micro and nanosized particles
Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, 1996
||||• Minor: Business Administration
||||• Graduation with Distinction

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Laboratory-based scholarship
|||| • Biomedical implant design
|||| • Design and characterization of biomaterials
|||| • Development of manufacturing techniques for ultra-high quality standards
|||| • Incorporation of naturally derived and biodegradable polymers in design
|||| • Use of nondestructive techniques to monitor in vivo mechanical processes
|||| • Use of nondestructive techniques to monitor manufacturing processes
|||| • Experimental design methods for efficient diagnosis of manufacturing defects
|||| • Wear of biomaterials and the effects of wear debris in vivo
|||||• Development and characterization of tissue engineered products for use in
|||||||challenging biomedical applications
|||||• Formulation of polyurethane elastomers for industrial and biomedical applications
|||| • Slip behavior of polymer solutions and their uses in industry and medicine
|||| • Signal processing of nondestructive evaluation data

Classroom-based scholarship
|||| • Development of teaching techniques to incorporate realistic scenarios and
|||||| constraints in mechanical design education
|||| • Development of interactive techniques to impart critical thinking and
|||||||conceptual understanding of topics in undergraduate engineering education
|||| • Incorporation of ethics-based considerations in mechanical design education
|||||• Incorporation of tangible models and visualization methods for materials and
|||||||manufacturing education
|||| • Incorporation of globalization concepts in engineering education
|||| • Incorporation of community-service learning opportunities in mechanical and
|||||| biomedical engineering courses

PUBLICATIONS

Schwartz, C.J., and Bahadur, S.: “Development and Testing of a Novel Joint Wear Simulator and Investigation of the Viability of an Elastomeric Polyurethane for Total-Joint Arthroplasty Devices,” Wear, article in press 2006.

Schwartz, C.J., and Light, G.M.: “Use of Magnetostrictive Sensor Technology for Detection of Transverse Defects in Rail,” Topics in Nondestructive Evaluation Series: Volume 5, Nondestructive Testing and Evaluation for the Railroad Industry, American Society for Nondestructive Testing, Inc., 2002, 101-110.

Schwartz, C.J., and Bahadur, S.: “The Role of Filler Deformability, Filler-Polymer Bonding, and Counterface Material on the Tribological Behavior of Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS),” Wear, 251(2001), 1532-1540.

Schwartz, C.J., Sills, J.A., and Minachi, A.: “Increasing the Accuracy of Guided Wave Inspection Results Using Matched Filtering Techniques,” Review of Progress in Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation, 20A (2000), 563-570.

Schwartz, C.J., and Bahadur, S.: “Studies on the Tribological Behavior and Transfer-Film-Counterface Bond Strength for Polyphenylene Sulfide Filled with Nanoscale Alumina Particles,” Wear, 237 (2000), 261-273.

Schwartz, C.J., and Bahadur, S.: “Observations on the Grinding of Alumina with Variations in Belt Speed, Load, Sample Rotation, and Grinding Fluids,” Wear Processing in Manufacturing, ASTM STP 1362, 1998, 13-28.