The symposium will focus on the processing and thermo-mechanical performance of cellular metallic materials.  These include

open and closed cell foams, and lattice block structures that are being developed for a wide range of structural, acoustic and thermal

management applications.  Innovative approaches to low-cost processing will be considered, along with scale-up issues.  Emerging

approaches for process and cost modeling will also be presented.  The sessions of thermo-mechanical performance will feature talks at

the interfaces between mechanics, materials, heat transfer and acoustics.  Experimental and computational/analytical approaches will be

presented within a multi-functional design perspective.  A partial list of invited speakers includes:<br><br>



(i)     Prof. Michael Ashby (Cambridge University)<br>

(ii)  Prof. John Hutchinson (Harvard)<br>

(iii)    Prof. Norman Fleck (Cambridge University)<br>

(iv)   Prof. Hadyn Wadley (University of Virginia)<br>

(v)     Prof. Dave McDowell (Georgia Tech)<br>

(vi)  Prof. Lorna Gibson (MIT)<br>

(vii)   Dr. Tony Furis (Jamcorp)<br>

(viii)  Mr. Brian Leyda (ERG)<br>

(ix)       Prof. Ann Marie Sastry (U. of Michigan)<br>

(x)      Dr. George Steele (Newport News Naval Shipyard)<br><br>



The proposed six-session symposium will feature talks in the following areas:<br>



(i)        Novel processing and scale-up issues<br>

(ii)        Process and cost modeling<br>

(iii)  Thermal and acoustic management<br>

(iv)     Mechanics modeling and design<br>

(v)        Fatigue and fracture<br>

(vi)        Multifunctional approaches<br><br>



      Each session will feature one highlight talk and between three and four other presentations.  Depending on the response of the

authors, the talks will be published in ASME conference proceedings, or a special edition of a journal.  Otherwise, a booklet of abstracts will be made available at the meeting.