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ASC 2002 Conference – 17th Annual Technical Conference at Purdue University

By Navid Zobeiry, Communications Editor, American Society for Composites, Last updated: May 12, 2025

The 17th Annual Technical Conference of the American Society for Composites was held from October 21–23, 2002, at the Stewart Center on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. The conference was organized in cooperation with ASTM Committee D30 on Composite Materials and co-chaired by Professor Chin-Teh Sun and Dr. Wade Jackson. A total of 191 technical papers were presented by authors from 17 countries, covering both foundational and emerging themes in composite materials.

The event featured a diverse technical program that highlighted traditional research areas such as stress analysis, fracture and fatigue, micromechanics, processing, and test methods. New areas received increased attention, including nanocomposites, smart structures, infrastructure, and automotive applications. There was a particular emphasis on structural health monitoring and composites education, reflecting the community’s evolving priorities in advancing application-driven research and education.

For more details, you can access the list of papers below:

Plenary and Invited Lectures

  • Dr. Patrick B. Stickler (Boeing) – "Composite Materials for Commercial Transport: Issues and Future Research Direction": A forward-looking view on the integration of composites in aviation, highlighting both performance benefits and regulatory hurdles.
  • Dr. Thomas S. Gates (NASA Langley) – "Computational Materials: Modeling and Simulation of Nanostructured Materials and Systems": Emphasized the increasing role of multiscale modeling in predictive composite design.
  • Dr. Nobuo Takeda (University of Tokyo) – "Damage and Health Monitoring of Composite Structures in Smart Material and Structure Systems in Japan": Covered the progress and challenges in structural health monitoring technologies.
  • ASTM Wayne Stinchcomb Lecture by Dr. Erian Armanios (Georgia Tech) – "Potential and Challenges of Elastic Tailoring in Laminated Composites": Provided insights into customized stiffness distribution for enhanced composite performance.

Topics of Interest

  • Constitutive Modeling
  • Micro- and Structural Mechanics
  • Fracture, Fatigue, and Damage Tolerance
  • Impact and Energy Absorption
  • Manufacturing
  • Design and Optimization
  • Joining and Repairing
  • Experimental Methods
  • NDE and Health Monitoring
  • Multi-Functional Composites
  • Nano-Composites
  • Active Materials and Smart Structures

Awards and Recognition

  • ASC Fellow: Dr. J. N. Reddy (Texas A&M University)
  • ASC Fellow: Dr. Robert L. Sierakowski (Air Force Research Laboratory)
  • ASC Fellow: Dr. Michael W. Hyer (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
  • Outstanding Researcher Award: Dr. Alfred C. Loos (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
  • DEStech Award in Composites: Dr. Robert M. Jones (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
  • ASC Best Paper Award (2001 conference): M.B. Miller, C. Bell, R. Clark, P. Furrow, and M. Hyer "Actuated Composite Structures for Space Applications"
  • ASC Best Paper Award (2001 conference): W. Signor and J.W. Chin "Effects of Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure on Vinyl Ester Matrix Resins: Chemical and Mechanical Characterization"
  • ASC Best Paper Award (2001 conference): S.S. Kessler, S.M. Spearing, and C. Soutis "Structural Health Monitoring in Composite Materials Using Lamb Wave Method"
  • ASC Best Paper Award (2001 conference): E. Manias "Concurrent Enhancement of Various Materials Properties in Polymer/Clay Nanocomposites"
  • ASC Best Paper Award (2001 conference): J.L. Abot and I.M. Daniel "Failure Modes of Composite Sandwich Beams Under Low Velocity Impact"
  • ASC Best Paper Award (2001 conference): S.R. White, P.H. Geubelle, N.R. Sottos, E.N. Brown, J.S. Moore, and M. Kessler "Autonomic Healing of Polymer Composites"
  • Ph.D. Research Scholarship: Eric N. Brown (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
  • Ph.D. Research Scholarship: Nikhil Gupta (Louisiana State University)

Organizing Committee

  • Conference Chair: Prof. Chin-Teh Sun (Purdue University)
  • Conference Co-Chair: Dr. Wade Jackson (NASA / U.S. Army Research Laboratory)
  • ASTM Collaboration Chair: Dr. Erian Armanios (Georgia Tech)