Walter D. Pilkey is the Frederick Morse Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Virginia and a leading authority in the areas of stress and strain in mechanical and civil engineering. He is the author of Formulas for Stress, Strain, and Structural Matrices, Second Edition and Analysis and Design of Elastic Beams, also available from Wiley.

Deborah F. Pilkey is an Engineer/Scientist in the Loads & Environments Department at ATK Launch Systems in Utah. She has been involved with structures technology, loads, dynamics, and production stress analysis of the Space Shuttle's main engines and their solid rocket motors.