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2019 ASC 34th Technical Conference Recap – Atlanta, Georgia

By Navid Zobeiry, Communications Editor, American Society for Composites, Last updated: May 1, 2025

The 34th Annual Technical Conference of the American Society for Composites (ASC) was held from September 23–25, 2019, at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. The conference was chaired by Prof. Kyriaki Kalaitzidou (Georgia Tech) with co-chair Dr. Stephen Engelstad (Lockheed Martin).

With over 179 technical papers presented, the event highlighted research in composites manufacturing, multiscale modeling, additive manufacturing, sustainability, sensing and health monitoring, certification strategies, and more. Special sessions included the SOLVAY Student Paper Competition and workshops on material selection and digital manufacturing integration.

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

Plenary and Invited Highlights

  • Dr. Richard D. Young (NASA Langley Research Center) – “The NASA Advanced Composites Project: Technical Accomplishments, Challenges, and Future Directions”
    A comprehensive overview of NASA’s composites initiatives and future directions for aerostructures innovation.
  • Professor Uday Vaidya (University of Tennessee & Oak Ridge National Laboratory) – “Advances in Composite Technologies in Automotive, Wind, Gas Storage at IACMI”
    Insights into emerging composite applications across transportation, energy, and infrastructure sectors.
  • Dr. Yapa Rajapakse (Office of Naval Research) – “Overview of ONR Research on Marine Composites”
    Exploration of cutting-edge research in marine composites, sandwich structures, and durability challenges.
  • Dr. David Mollenhauer (Air Force Research Laboratory) – “PMC Discrete Damage Modeling R&D at AFRL”
    An update on advanced modeling approaches for damage prediction and failure mechanisms in polymer matrix composites.

Awards and Recognition

  • Medal of Excellence in Composite Materials: Professor Michael R. Wisnom (University of Bristol) and Dr. Leslie Jay Cohen (HITCO Carbon Composites)
  • ASC–Solvay Best Student Paper Award: Jessica Ferguson (University of Massachusetts Lowell) – "Manufacturing Study of Thin-Ply Composite Prepregs within Automated Fiber Placement (AFP)"
  • Best Paper Award: I.J. Kaiser and K.T. Tan – "Damage Analysis of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer and Titanium Adhesive Joints"
  • ASC Ph.D. Scholarship Awards: Sagar Doshi (University of Delaware) and Tyler Goode (North Carolina State University)

By the Numbers

  • 179 technical papers presented
  • 4 plenary speakers
  • Special SOLVAY student competitions and workshops
  • Multiple technical tracks covering the entire composites research landscape
  • 1 major awards banquet celebrating excellence in composites research

Organizing Committee

  • Conference Chair: Prof. Kyriaki Kalaitzidou (Georgia Institute of Technology)
  • Conference Co-Chair: Dr. Stephen P. Engelstad (Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company)
  • Local Organizing and Technical Committee: Arielle Berman, Edward DiLoreto, Ejaz Haque, Zhaonan Liu, Jamie Wooding, Yunpei Yang, and Su Yu (Georgia Tech)
  • Coordinator/Event Planner: Mrs. Nichelle Compton (Georgia Tech)