Disquisitiones Mechanicae coming soon

Disquisitiones Mechanicae 2011-12 will feature lectures on fluid mechanics in complex environments by four renowned international experts. Each speaker will give presentations on cutting-edge research in their areas of specialty designed to enrich the mechanics community at the University of Illinois, enable discussion and debate of current issues, and expose students to topics that are at the forefront of fluid mechanics research. These visits will simultaneously provide an opportunity for MechSE to showcase its diverse research programs in all areas of mechanics to top mechanics researchers.

The event was inspired by the very successful Disquisitiones Mechanicae 1996, which was organized by the Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (TAM). Although different in format, both events are designed to push forward the current knowledge and understanding of specific mechanics topics by engaging the mechanics community at Illinois, both faculty and students, in discussing issues that are at the forefront of fluid mechanics research while showcasing the cutting-edge mechanics research being pursued by Illinois researchers.

“Mechanics is a discipline that has some stubborn problems that we try to solve, and there is usually discussion and debate about difficult problems,” said Petros Sofronis, the Associate Head for Mechanics Programs in the MechSE Department. “One way to deal with these problems is to invite those who are experts and recognized authorities in these specific areas and have an open discussion with them.”

The series organizers, MechSE professors Moshe Matalon and Ken Christensen, secured top lecturers from around the world who will address issues concerned with fluids in complex environments:

• November 3-4, 2011: Professor Raymond Goldstein from the University of Cambridge
• December 1-2, 2011: Professor George (Bud) Homsy from the University of British Columbia
• February 9-10, 2012: Professor Howard Stone from Princeton University
• March 15-16, 2012: Professor Ivan Marusic from the University of Melbourne

Each lecturer will spend two days on campus, which will give ample of time to interact with faculty and graduate students. They will give two lectures: a perspective lecture on Thursday afternoon and a more specialized lecture at the regular fluid mechanics seminar held on Friday at noon. The lectures will be followed by an open discussion session.

“On the second day they will give a more focused presentation on their research that we are all interested in, then discussion and debate will follow,” Sofronis said. “This will enrich everybody. It will enrich us as individual researchers. It will enhance the academic climate of our university. It’s a culture-adding event.”

The lecture series is also intended to expose students and young researchers to the broad range of topics that encompasses current research in mechanics and to its fundamentally interdisciplinary nature.

“Our students will see how a distinguished researcher discusses the issues with us here, with colleagues, and with other researchers,” Sofronis said. “So we hope that this will be an learning experience to our graduate students who are invited not only to participate, but also to ask questions and take part on the open discussion.”