Executive Board
2011 - 2012

PRESIDENT

Peter G. Ifju
Peter Geza Ifju is a Professor in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at the University of Florida.  He received a Ph.D. in Materials Engineering Science (1992), a M.S. in Engineering Science and Mechanics (1989), and a B.S. in Civil Engineering (1986) all from Virginia Tech. He also performed a Post-Doc at NASA Langley Research Center (1992-1993) in the Mechanics of Materials Branch.  His research activities include experimental stress analysis, optical methods for stress analysis (moiré interferometry, luminescent photoelastic coatings), and composite materials stress analysis and fabrication.  He has also gained notoriety in micro air vehicle (MAV) design, fabrication, system integration, applications, and experimental characterization. Dr Ifju has gained considerable international recognition in experimental mechanics including being selected as the first recipient of the A. J. Durelli Award from the Society for Experimental Mechanics in 2004.  AIAA granted Dr. Ifju the Abe M. Zarem Award in 2005.  He also received the NSF Career award in 1995. His publications have been recognized by paper of the year awards in three separate journals, including the Journal of Experimental Techniques (Harting Award), the Journal of Experimental Mechanics (Peterson Award) and the Journal of the Society for the Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering (SAMPE).  He has received teacher of the year awards on the department and college level at the University of Florida.  The University of Florida MAV Team, lead by Dr. Ifju, won first place overall in the International MAV Competition in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006.  In 2000 Discovery magazine granted Dr. Ifju a Top Ten Technology Innovation Award for Micro Air Vehicle Development. Dr Ifju has coauthored or authored 2 books (one on experimental stress analysis and one on micro air vehicles), more than 10 book chapters, more than 55 journal papers, and more than 100 conference papers.

PRESIDENT-ELECT

Carlos Ventura
Dr. Carlos Ventura is a Civil Engineer with specializations in structural dynamics and earthquake engineering. He has been a faculty member of the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada since 1992. He is a registered professional engineer in British Columbia, California and Guatemala. He is currently the Director of the Earthquake Engineering Research Facility (EERF) at UBC, and is the author of more than 200 papers and reports on earthquake engineering, structural dynamics and modal testing. He is a member of several national and international professional societies and advisory committees. Ventura has conducted research for more than twenty five years in the dynamic behavior and analysis of structural systems subjected to extreme dynamic loads, including severe ground shaking. His research work includes experimental studies in the field and in the laboratory of structural systems and components. Research developments have included novel techniques for regional estimation of damage to structures during earthquakes, detailed studies on nonlinear dynamic analysis of structures, and methods to evaluate the dynamic characteristics of large Civil Engineering structures. Ventura has a substantial research record in shake table testing and vibration studies of existing structures subjected to different levels of dynamic loading and seismic retrofit of existing structures. His current research is focused on the development of performance-based guidelines for seismic retrofit of schools, on methods to evaluate the interaction between critical infrastructure vulnerable to natural and man-made hazards, and on structural health monitoring of bridges.

VICE-PRESIDENT

Emmanuel Gdoutos

Dr. Emmanuel E. Gdoutos is Professor and Director of the Laboratory of Applied Mechanics of the Democritus University of Thrace, Greece, and Adjunct Professor at Northwestern University. He is member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, the European Academy of Sciences, Academia Europaea, Russian Academy of Engineering, International Academy of Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, and Corresponding Member of the Academy of Athens. He is Fellow of the American Academy of Mechanics (AAM), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the European Structural Integrity Society (ESIS), the International Congress on Fracture (ICF) and honorary member of the Italian Group of Fracture (IGF). He received an honorary Ph.D. from the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Gdoutos is author of over 250 technical papers and 17 books and editor of 15 books. He served as Editor-in-chief of Strain (2007-2010), President of the European Structural Integrity Society (ESIS) (2006-2010), the Greek Group of Fracture (2002-2010) and chairman of the European Association for Experimental Mechanics (EURASEM) (2003-2007). He received the award of merit and the Griffith medal from ESIS, the award of merit from EURASEM, Medal and Diploma of the International Academic Rating of Popularity “Golden Fortune,” the Paton Medal of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences and the Jubilee Medal “XV Year to IAE” of the International Academy of Engineering.

He is Fellow of SEM, served on the Executive Committee (2006-2008) and received the Lazan, Theocaris, Tatnall and Zandman awards.

PAST PRESIDENT

Wei-Chung Wang
Dr. Wang is a professor in the Department of Power Mechanical Engineering of the National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan, Republic of China.

He was a member of the SEM Executive Board from 2001-2003. He was the secretary, vice-chairman and chairman of the SEM Optical Methods Division between 2000 and 2003. He is the major founder of the SEM Republic of China Local Section. He is now a committee member in both the SEM Honors Committee and SEM Committee of Fellows.

Professor Wang was advisor (1987-1995) for the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Executive Director (1994-2002) for the Tze-Chiang Foundation of Science and Technology (TCFST) and Director General (2003-2004) of the Department of International Programs of the National Science Council (NSC).

He is the three time recipient of the Excellent Research Award from the NSC. He received the Outstanding Service Award and the Outstanding Engineering Professor Award from Chinese Society of Mechanical Engineers in 2000 and 2001, respectively. In 2002, he received K.T. Lee Management Medal for recognizing his outstanding performance on managing the TCFST. In November 2004, Professor Wang was elected a fellow by SEM.

PAST PRESIDENT

Ryszard J. (Rich) Pryputniewicz
Prof. Pryputniewicz, educated both in Poland and the United States, is Professor of Mechanical Engineering and founding Director of the Center for Holographic Studies and Laser micro-mechaTronics (CHSLT) at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Worcester, Massachusetts, since 1978.  Previously he was a faculty member and Director of the Laser Research Laboratory at the School of Engineering and the Health Center of the University of Connecticut (6 years); and a member of the Aerospace technical staff (4 years).  He also founded the NanoEngineering, Science, and Technology (NEST) Program at WPI, addressing undergraduate and graduate education and research in the field of lasers, photonics, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and nanotechnology.  He is a Fellow of SEM, Fellow of SPIE, vice-chair of the ASME Committee on Photonics Systems, Co-chair of the ASME Symposia on Education in Mechatronics and MEMS, Co-chair of the SEM Symposium Series on MEMS and Nanotechnology, Director of MEMS and Nanotechnology Division of SEM, and chairman of the IEEE Nanotechnology Council Education Committee.  He has over 250 publications and has chaired, co-chaired, and organized over 100 conferences, symposia, and workshops on the state-of-the-art and emerging technologies for various sponsors and professional societies.

Rich joined SEM/SESA in 1970, as a student member.  He is a third-of-a-century member of the Society.

TREASURER

Jon Rogers
Dr. Rogers received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Engineering Mechanics from Iowa State University in 1980, 1984 and 1986, respectively. Jon joined Sandia in the fall of 1986 in the Vibration Testing Division.  In the test organization, he worked as the test engineer for vibration and shock testing on a number of systems.  Jon was the project leader for the VIBRAFUGE development project which placed a 4000 lb force rated shaker on the 29-foot underground centrifuge, and for the Acoustic Test Facility development project.  This resulted in the construction of the 16,000 cu. ft., high-level chamber with combined acoustic and vibration test capabilities.

Jon moved to Systems Studies in the fall of 1992.  He has worked on a variety of studies including Advanced Manufacturing, the Impact of Technology on the Economy, and many studies involving the weapons program and Underground Facilities.  Jon was made a Distinguished Member of Technical Staff in the fall of 2002 and was promoted to manager in the fall of 2003.  He is currently the manager of the Strategic Weapons Studies Department which focuses primarily on nuclear and conventional weapons related issues.

Jon has been an active member of the Society for Experimental Mechanics since 1981.  He has served many roles for the Society, including: Member of the Executive Board, Chairman of the Technical Program for the Annual Meeting (4 times), President of the Society, Associate Technical Editor of Experimental Techniques, Chairman of the Editorial Council, and Treasurer of the Society.

SECRETARY

Tom Proulx

Dr. Proulx received a B.S. (Chemistry) from Boston College in 1970 and a Ph.D. (Chemistry/NMR Spectroscopy) from Texas A&M University in 1975. After a year of Post-Doctoral work at Texas Christian University, he joined Perkin-Elmer Corporation in 1976. He spent twenty years with Perkin-Elmer in the Analytical Instrumentation business holding a variety of technical, applications, sales, marketing and managerial positions. Since his years at Perkin-Elmer, he has also been with Atlas Software in the sales and marketing of Laboratory Information Systems for Clinical Laboratories, and at Cober Electronics as Marketing Manager, where he was involved with the design, manufacture and sales of industrial microwave systems for heating and research. He joined the SEM staff in October 2001.

AT-LARGE MEMBER

Cosme Furlong

Cosme Furlong received his B.Eng. from the University of the Americas, Mexico, in 1989, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in 1992 and 1999, respectively. He held the positions of Research Professor and Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at WPI where he currently is a tenured Associate Professor working in the field of Nanoengineering, Science, and Technology (NEST). His professional interests and involvement include: combination of modeling and simulation with quantitative optical metrology, fiber optics sensors, optoelectronic holography, NDT, materials characterization, and optimization of mechanical and microelectromechanical components and systems.
He has received multiple awards, including the Sigma Xi Junior Researcher Faculty, the Morgan Distinguish Instructorship, and he has been named a research affiliate of the Department of Otology and Laryngology at the Mass. Eye & Ear Infirmary (MEEI) and a Lecturer on Otology and Laryngology at Harvard Medical School. He is the author of more than 100 technical publications and he actively participates in multiple SEM related activities, including the organization of technical sessions and international conferences and symposia.

AT-LARGE MEMBER

K. Jane Grande-Allen

Dr. Grande-Allen’s research group investigates the structure-function-environment relationship of heart valves through bioengineering analyses of the extracellular matrix and cell mechanobiology. Their goal in characterizing the mechanisms of heart valve remodeling is to derive novel therapies that can be used to treat patients earlier in the disease process. To perform this work, Dr. Grande-Allen and students employ numerous bioengineering, molecular biology, materials science, and mechanical engineering strategies and have also developed numerous electromechanical tools, such as various systems for the sterile, long-term organ culture of heart valves as well as customized bending systems to test the behavior of heart valve tissue engineering scaffolds. This work has been supported by over $2.5M in funding from several federal, non-federal, and international agencies, and results are described in more than 60 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Grande-Allen received a B.A. in Mathematics and Biology from Transylvania University in 1991 and a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Washington in 1998. After performing postdoctoral research in Biomedical Engineering at the Cleveland Clinic, she joined Rice University in 2003 and was promoted to Associate Professor of Bioengineering in 2008. She received the 2009 Rice University Presidential Award for Mentoring. Dr. Grande-Allen has been actively involved with the SEM Biological Systems and Materials TD for many years and has served as SEM track chair, session chair, abstract reviewer, and session organizer.
 

AT-LARGE MEMBER

Paul Reynolds

Paul Reynolds is currently Professor of Structural Dynamics and Control in the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering at The University of Sheffield in the UK. He received his PhD degree from the same department in 2000 and was appointed to the academic staff in 1998. He has worked for many years in the area of vibration serviceability of civil structures under human dynamic excitation, with particular emphasis on floor and stadium structures. He is currently developing techniques for mitigation of human-induced vibration, with particular emphasis on advanced technologies including active and semi-active vibration control. Prof. Reynolds has published more than 100 articles in technical journals and at international conferences.

Prof. Reynolds has served on numerous committees and working groups, including BSI technical committee GME 21/6/4 that produced a UK code of practice for vibration in buildings, the IStructE/DCLG/DCMS working group on the “Dynamic Performance and Design of Stadia Structures and Seating Decks” and the NAFEMS Dynamics and Testing Working Group. He has served on the Peer Review College of the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council since 2006. He is currently an Associate Editor of the Experimental Techniques and Experimental Mechanics journals.

Prof. Reynolds is a regular consultant to industry, and has worked on high profile projects such as the London Millennium Bridge, the Marina Bay Bridge in Singapore, the Orion laser facility at AWE and a number of Premiership football stadia in the UK. He is a founding director of the University spin-off company Full Scale Dynamics Limited, a highly successful enterprise which provides commercial services in vibration testing, monitoring, analysis and design.

AT-LARGE MEMBER

Todd Simmermacher

Todd Simmermacher received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Buffalo and his Ph.D. from the University of Houston. He has worked at Sandia National Laboratories since 1996 where he has performed research in a wide variety of areas including experimental applications ranging from low force-level component modal tests to the response of full systems to explosive loadings. Todd’s main focus is on experimental and analytical structural dynamics, specifically model validation and uncertainty quantification. Recent work includes the simulation and validation of linear and non-linear coupled systems. He is the chair for the Model Validation and Uncertainty Quantification Technical Division of SEM.
 

AT-LARGE MEMBER

Ralph Brillhart
Mr. Brillhart is currently Vice President & Technical Director of Test Projects, with ATA Engineering, Inc. in San Diego, California. Mr. Brillhart is one of the principals of ATA which started as a spin-off operation from Structural Dynamics Research Corporation (SDRC) in April, 2000. Including his 23 years at SDRC, he has spent over 30 years conducting and
managing test programs in the aerospace, transportation, and entertainment industries. Many of these programs have focused on dynamic and static durability and qualification testing of structures and include modal testing of aircraft, launch vehicles, satellites, and other aerospace hardware. He has become recognized worldwide for his modal testing and analysis expertise and has written numerous papers discussing the applications of modal testing techniques and new approaches to modal testing. He has conducted many large scale modal surveys of aerospace, automotive, and industrial
structures over the past thirty years.

He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Cincinnati in 1977. In 1983, he obtained
his Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Dynamics and Controls from the University of California, Davis.

AT-LARGE MEMBER

Wendy C. Crone
Wendy C. Crone is a Professor in the Department of Engineering Physics with affiliate appointments in Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. She conducts research on nanostructured materials, composite materials, and engineered biomaterials with emphasis on improving the fundamental understanding of mechanical response of materials and cell/matrix interactions. As a sample of these results, her research group has demonstrated the capability of a shape memory alloy-based thermomechanical data storage device at the nanoscale, adapted plasma surface modifications techniques to control biocompatibity of surface oxide, developed magnetic methods for control over the position and orientation of nanowires, and provided the experimental foundation for the development of constitutive models for responsive hydrogels. She was granted a CAREER Award by the National Science Foundation, recently received the top Hot Talk/Cool Paper Award from the Materials Research Society, and is a Fellow of the University of Wisconsin - Madison Teaching Academy. Prof. Crone held the position of Vice-Chair for
the MEMS and Nanotechnology Technical Division of the Society for Experimental Mechanics 2001-2006. She has also
served as Faculty Co-Director of the Women in Science and Engineering Residential Program (1999-2001), Director of
Education and Outreach for the Materials Science Research and Engineering Center (MRSEC) on Nanostructured Materials and Interfaces (2001-2007); and is currently the Director of the Women Faculty Mentoring Program at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

AT-LARGE MEMBER

Douglas Adams
Dr. Douglas Adams is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University. He received his BS and PhD from University of Cincinnati working in the Structural Dynamics Research Laboratory and his MS from MIT. He conducts research in nonlinear structural identification with application to health monitoring and noise and vibration control.  He has graduated 18 MS and PhD students who have published 150 papers with Dr. Adams. He has also published a textbook on structural health monitoring and has commercialized many of his research findings. He has co-organized dozens of sessions in nonlinear systems at IMAC and has received numerous awards for research and teaching including a Presidential Early Career Award. He has delivered many short courses worldwide and has been appointed a University Faculty Scholar at Purdue.

AT-LARGE MEMBER

Ramón Rodriguez-Vera
Ramón Rodriguez-Vera received his B.Sc. degree in physics from Michoacan University in 1982, his M.Sc. from Guanajuato University in 1987, and in 1993 obtained his Ph.D. from Loughborough University of Technology, England. Currently he is Optical Metrology and Computer Vision Lecturer in postgraduate programs at Centro de Investigaciones en Optica, México. He was Chair of SEM Optical Methods Division 2008-2009. His research interest areas include optical metrology employing holographic, speckle, and moiré techniques; as well as, automatic fringe analysis and computer vision. Dr. RodriguezVera has directed several bachelor and postgraduate theses. He has published more than seventy papers in international journals and presented more than ninety national and international papers in congresses, some of them as invited speaker. He is a member of the National Researchers System (SNI), level III, and the following scientific societies: SEM, OSA, SPIE, Mexican Society of Physics, Mexican Academy of Sciences, and Mexican Academy of Optics.