Brian Pillay

Selvum "Brian" Pillay is an associate professor in the UAB School of Engineering and director of Materials Processing and Development for the school's Materials Processing and Application Development Center (MPAD).

Pillay earned his bachelor of science in mechanical engineering at the Durban University of Technology in Durban, South Africa in 1988, then completed a master's at the Florida A&M University – Florida State University College of Engineering in Tallahassee, Florida 1999. He completed his PhD in materials engineering at UAB in 2005. He conducts research into the manufacturing of advanced thermoplastic, thermoset and nanocomposite materials.

In 2015 Pillay and his students developed a layered carbon fiber and fiberglass brace to reinforce the sole tusk of Bulwagi, a male African elephant at the Birmingham Zoo.

References

• Leu, Chelsea (November 19, 2015) "Bulwagi the elephant cracked his tusk. Carbon fiber to the rescue!" WIRED

External links

• Selvum Pillay PhD at uab.edu