Conference: SoCal Solids 2023; Los Angeles, California; Spring 2023

This award will provide support to the SoCal Solids 2023 conference to be held at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles in the spring of 2023. The conference will attract solid mechanics researchers from Southern California R1 and non-R1 universities free of cost. The twin objective is to provide a cost-effective avenue for graduate students, postdoc, and early career researchers to share research and to avail networking opportunities for collaborative efforts.

The conference will seek a satisfactory balance in the speakers and attendees in terms of broadening participation. Funding through this award would prepare the next generation of scientific leaders in the field of mechanics of materials.

The focus of this daylong conference is the mechanics of solids. The conference will target both R1 and non-R1 researchers in Southern California to convene, share research, and network free of cost. There will be plenary talks by established researchers to set the stage as well as 10 reserved lightning talks by early career faculty and postdocs.

Four out of the 10 lightning talks will be reserved for non-R1 and postdoc scholars. Twenty-plus speaking spots will be open to all researchers on first come-first serve basis. Approximately, 120 attendees are expected.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.