Planning for November's Congress in Seattle

Plans are well underway for another great ASME Congress on Nov. 11–15, 2007, in Seattle. More than 3,000 abstracts have been received and are currently being reviewed for quality and appropriateness for the Congress. The abstracts and papers that pass the review process will be programmed for presentations, along with several panel sessions and poster sessions. We expect to have at least 460 technical sessions programmed from Monday through Thursday. These presentations will be grouped into a new multidisciplinary track structure. The track topics are currently being developed. Some of the expected tracks are:

• Micro- and Nanosystems

• Mechanics of Solids and Structures

• Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology

• Energy Systems

• Transportation Systems

• Mechanical Systems and Control

• Heat Transfer, Fluid Flows, and Thermal Systems

• Design and Manufacturing

• Sustainable Products and Processes

• Safety Engineering and Reliability

• Processing and Application of Novel Materials

• Software for Engineering Applications

• Engineering Education and Professional Development

The new track system, which replaces Congress's traditional division-based programming, was developed through collaboration between divisions and other ASME units. Each track consists of several technical symposia on topics related to the track theme, and each symposium includes several topical sessions.

It is hoped that the new structure will make it easier to manage potential scheduling conflicts and will make the final program easier to maneuver. This is truly a departure from past practice, and I want to take this opportunity to thank all the division program representatives and track chairs who helped develop the new system.

There are other changes to the overall program as well. The Honors Assembly, which has been a very important part of Congress, will be moved to Monday night, Nov. 12. The keynote presentation will take place on Sunday evening (Nov. 11) followed by a welcome reception for all attendees.

Another important improvement is the daily Authors' Breakfast from Monday through Thursday. This event will provide an opportunity for the session chairs to meet the presenters in their sessions. Also, coffee and refreshments will be provided during breaks for all attendees.

In order to reduce the number of parallel activities and reduce scheduling conflicts, most of the governance and business meetings of ASME will be moved to Friday through Sunday, Nov. 9–11. However, all division-level committee meetings and functions will be scheduled from Monday through Thursday. The popular Student Design Contest and Early Career Forum will be held on Sunday.

Last year in Chicago, we implemented a new registration policy to reduce the potential no-shows that had plagued the Conference in recent years. All authors and presenters were required to register in advance. Since this policy was effective and substantially reduced the number of no-shows in Chicago, it will be followed in Seattle as well. Please check the ASME Congress Web site (www.asme.org/congress) for further information and see how the technical program is taking shape.

We look forward to seeing everyone in Seattle for another successful Congress, ASME's premier event.

— Said Jahanmir,
2007 Congress Chair

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