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2003 ASC 18th Technical Conference Recap – Gainesville, FL

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

The 18th Annual Technical Conference of the American Society for Composites was held from October 20–22, 2003, at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Center on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida. The event was co-chaired by Prof. Bhavani V. Sankar, Prof. Peter G. Ifju, and Dr. Thomas S. Gates. The conference featured 126 technical papers and was marked by strong participation in both core and emerging composites research areas.

The technical program highlighted major themes including damage mechanics, impact behavior, optimization strategies, and glass fiber-reinforced systems. These were visually captured in a conference word cloud where terms like “damage,” “impact,” “glass,” “mechanical,” and “optimization” stood out. In addition to the regular sessions, a symposium was organized in honor of Prof. C.T. Sun, with several sessions dedicated to his contributions in fracture mechanics and modeling of composite structures.

For the complete list of presented papers and the detailed conference agenda, please see below:

Plenary Sessions

  • Charles R. Saff (Boeing Phantom Works) – “How Accelerated Insertion of Composite Materials (AIM-C) Might Affect the Future”
  • Prof. Anthony G. Evans (University of California, Santa Barbara) – “Multifunctional Materials and Structures”
  • Dr. Damodar R. Ambur (NASA Langley Research Center) – “Mechanics of Materials and Structures Research at NASA Langley”
  • Prof. Tsu-Wei Chou (University of Delaware) – “Nanocomposites in Context”
  • Prof. C.T. Sun (Purdue University) – “A Critical Review of Application of Fracture Mechanics in Composites”

Major Technical Topics

  • High strain rate behavior and dynamic impact analysis
  • Design and optimization of composite structures and joints
  • Damage detection and delamination modeling
  • Processing and performance of nanocomposites
  • Thermoplastic composites for automotive and aerospace applications
  • Composite materials education and laboratory experience
  • Biocomposites and green materials
Word Cloud – ASC 2003

2003 Word Cloud highlighting dominant themes in ASC 18 technical papers.

Education & Outreach

The ASC Education Division organized special sessions on composites education, covering curriculum design, laboratory teaching, and collaboration with industry. A Student Poster Competition was also held to showcase undergraduate and graduate research, judged on both scientific quality and clarity of presentation.

Awards and Recognition

  • ASC Fellow: Ms. Nancy L. Johnson (General Motors Research and Development Center)
  • ASC Fellow: Dr. T. Kevin O'Brien (US Army Research Laboratory)
  • ASC Fellow: Dr. Ozden O. Ochoa (Texas A&M University)
  • Outstanding Researcher Award: Dr. Christos C. Chamis (John H. Glenn NASA Research Center)
  • DEStech Award in Composites: Dr. Robert L. Sierakowski (Air Force Research Laboratory)
  • ASC Best Paper Award (2002 conference): Z.-H. Xie and A.J. Vizzini "A Modified Analytical Model for Damage Propagation of a Low-Velocity Impacted Sandwich Panel"
  • ASC Best Paper Award (2002 conference): E.N. Brown, N.R. Sottos, and S.R. White "Microcapsule Induced Toughening in a Self-Healing Polymer Composite"
  • ASC Best Paper Award (2002 conference): J. Han and T. Siegmund "A Combined Experimental-Numerical Investigation of Crack Growth in C-C Composites"
  • Ph.D. Research Scholarship: Sontipee Aimmanee (Virgina Polytechnic Institute and State University)
  • Ph.D. Research Scholarship: Jennifer Gorczyca (University of Massachusetts-Lowell)

Organizing Committee

  • Prof. Bhavani V. Sankar (University of Florida)
  • Prof. Peter G. Ifju (University of Florida)
  • Dr. Thomas S. Gates (NASA Langley Research Center)

References

  1. Proceedings of the 18th Technical Conference of the American Society for Composites, Gainesville, FL, 2003.