Conference Support for the 19th U.S. National Congress on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics; Austin, Texas; 19-24 June 2022

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

This grant provides support for the 19th US National Congress on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics to be held in Austin, Texas, 19-24 June 2022. This conference is held every four years to foster and promote the exchange of ideas and information among the various disciplines in the field of the theoretical and applied mechanics, and to chart future priorities in mechanics related research, applications, and education. The objective of the Congress is to bring together researchers from across the United States as well as internationally who are interested in the broad area of applied mechanics and primarily separated into the sub-disciplines of solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, and dynamics. Research in theoretical, computational, and experimental mechanics will be highlighted in the classical fields aligned with solid and fluid mechanics and dynamics, as well as in emerging technologies and applications such as additive manufacturing, renewable energy and batteries, bio-inspired propulsion, mechanotransduction in cells, and the mechanics of soft matter and architected materials. The Congress serves as a conduit for the dissemination of knowledge between active researchers and the students who will become future scientists. The four Plenary Speakers that will deliver the featured presentations at the Congress include three women and one African American man. The high visibility of these outstanding researchers at this venue will be a driving force for increasing diversity and equity in the field of theoretical and applied mechanics. This conference is being held over five days. The conference is bringing together over 750 researchers from around the world. Of the attendees, 300 are students, representing a very high level of student participation. Each day begins with a presentation by a plenary speaker, with Friday’s presentation centered around the contributions of Theodore von Kármán to the field of applied mechanics. The morning plenary sessions are followed by nearly 800 presentations across 63 minisymposia throughout the week. Presentations on cutting edge research are 40 minutes for invited talks and 20 minutes for accepted talks. Additional activities include a student poster session where students present their research in a poster format and a Women’s Networking Event on Career Development. The conference will foster the training of students, the development of new collaborative research activities, and it will inspire new scientific ideas and research directions. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.