Objective of the proposed effort is to develop tools by employing hybridization approach to build up new know how to continue advance of emerging technologies (including, but not limited to photonics, microsystems, telecommunications, and nanotechnology) of contemporary interest and national importance. This advance demands use of sophisticated tools to design, fabricate, characterize, and support modern components as well as complex devices, structures, and systems they enable. The tools available today can be categorized as analytical, computational and experimental. Unfortunately the tools from a single category are not sufficient to continue the pace of current progress and extensive merging, or unification, of tools from different categories is needed to develop hybrid methodologies for the future. Development and availability of correct and adequate hybrid methodologies will be of great benefit to the society as this will provide flexible-tools that will lead to new products, not existing at this time, it will also lead to development of new manufacturing capabilities necessary to make the new products that, in turn, will lead to increased employment. To assure qualified workforce, educational programs will integrate hybrid methodologies into curricula that will increasingly be dependent on highly diversified student populations of the future. This proposal seeks partial funds to support the first of its kind and a very unique event that is being organizing on behalf of SEM ? the Society for Experimental Mechanics: the International Symposium to Commemorate 60th Anniversary of Holography (ISCAH?2008), to be held at the Sheraton Monarch Conference Center in Springfield, MA, 27-29 October 2008. ____________
