after receiving his sc. d. in structures and mechanics at harvard university and becoming assistant professor at harvard, baron accepted a position on the civil engineering faculty at yale university as associate professor. while at yale, baron further explored his dissertation interest in the shearing stresses of slabs, and also spearheaded the formulation of a new departmental curriculum in transportation studies. after spending four years in hartford, baron decided to accept a full-professorship at northwestern university, where he stayed for seven years. plasticity and the comparative behavior of riveted and bolted steel joints served as his principal research interests while there.