TLT: How did you come to tribology as a research topic?
Jackson: I have to go back to STLE-member professor Jeff Streator’s tribology course that first introduced me to the topic. He is an engaging teacher and the topic immediately struck my curiosity. I completed a project for the course on the slipperiness of pool tiles using squeeze film theory based on the Reynolds equation. During a summer at Georgia Tech I also conducted some undergraduate research under Dr. Streator’s guidance on linking molecular forces to viscosity, if I remember correctly.

As an undergraduate, I was surprised that tribology was not a required topic, and that observation has stuck with me for many years until the tribology minor at Auburn University was created. I encourage our community to support and promote education in tribology and STEM at all levels and institutes.

At some point I decided I wanted to pursue graduate school, which was not my aim when entering college. However, I found that I liked teaching other students concepts and also was interested in research.

Later when I was looking for a research project and advisor, I met STLE Life Member Dr. Itzhak Green, who had obtained a project on the performance of thrust washer bearings for automotive planetary gear sets. I accepted a graduate research position under Dr. Green’s supervision. I am still grateful for the guidance and knowledge he has given to me then, and that has continued since I graduated.

As a faculty member it has been difficult to keep my research focused on tribology due to the need for research funding, but so far it has remained mostly in the area. 

TLT: Over your career, what changes have had the greatest impact on tribology and tribology research?
Jackson: This is a very tough question. 

Regarding research, the ability to make direct observations in tribological contacts, especially at small scales, have allowed researchers to observe directly what is going on in the interface between surfaces, which was once considered invisible. This is still an ongoing area of research. The development of more powerful computers and improved computational methods also have allowed researchers to make better predictions about tribological interfaces. Ultimately the goal of these approaches will be to tie large scale tribology (machines) to the small scales (chemistry and metallurgy), but I don’t think we’ve quite arrived there yet.

Another issue is for tribology to thrive, especially in academia, we have to advocate the importance of it to the general public. There is currently not enough research funds available to sustain the number of university faculty members that we as a technologically advanced society need. In addition, universities need support and encouragement from industry to produce more students with a background in tribology not only at the graduate level but also at the undergraduate level. 

TLT: What new developments do you see as intriguing or promising for investigation?
Jackson: Time after time, even as technology changes, tribology continues to rear its head as an issue that must be addressed. For instance, it is an important issue in the rapidly growing area of electric vehicles. 

Biotribology is always going to be a topic of interest, because we all want to have articular joints that last for our entire lives and with less pain. Additionally, biomimetics (using concepts from biology) for industrial applications will continue to grow, even though the topic has been around for a while. 

Relative to that, I also think self-adaptive surfaces that can change for different conditions will be a topic that grows. We can never predict what area or new discovery will actually make a substantial impact on our lives. Some discoveries receive a lot of hype, but never pan out, while others fly under the radio and make significant changes. 

TLT: What do you find most rewarding about your career?
Jackson: As an educator, it is very rewarding to see students go on to build successful careers and lives. I’d also like to acknowledge all the students who have performed research in my lab, as I believe a good relation between the advisor and student is a symbiotic one where the professor guides the student, but the student also helps the professor by conducting the research. It also has been rewarding to see something you researched be put into practice in the industry. Regarding the undergraduate tribology minor and the new online tribology engineering graduate certificate, it also has been encouraging to hear from folks in the industry that we are doing the right thing. To learn more about the tribology minor, click here.

You can reach Robert Jackson at robert.jackson@eng.auburn.edu.