The objective of the proposed work is to facilitate the participation of graduate students in the Ninth United States National Congress on Computational Mechanics (USNCCM IX), to be held in San Francisco, California, from 21 July to 27 July, 2007. USNCCM IX is the premier national forum for dissemination of research progress in the area of computational mechanics. Computational approaches in new and challenging areas of engineering research with broad technological applications to biomedicine, energy, homeland security, and the environment are expected to be a central theme for the conference. It is estimated that approximately 1,500 participants will attend the conference and deliver 1,250 presentations organized in more than 100 topical minisymposia. In addition, the state-of-the-art in key areas of computational research will be reviewed by prominent researchers in six plenary lectures.
USNCCM IX will attract an extraordinary group of academics and industrial participants and is a wonderful venue for graduate students to appreciate the breadth of computational mechanics and its societal value in solving a multitude of technological problems. The participation of graduate student mechanicians is critical in securing the vitality of the field and energizing the scientifically-inclined engineering students to pursue doctoral degrees and contribute to the growth of science and engineering in the United States. The requested funds would be used to attract domestic students who would otherwise likely not be able to attend the conference due to financial reasons. Special consideration will be given to students from traditionally underrepresented groups. 1
