Message from the Outgoing President of EMI
Arif Masud, Ph.D.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Dear Members of the Engineering Mechanics Institute,
As I complete my two-year term as President of EMI, I want to take a moment to reflect on our shared accomplishments. I also wish to extend my deepest gratitude to all those whose efforts have continued to strengthen and elevate our Institute.
Serving this exceptional community—dedicated in its commitment to advancing the frontiers of engineering mechanics—has been a profound honor. Over these past two years, EMI has upheld its tradition of excellence in fundamental research while expanding its reach through interdisciplinary collaboration, enhanced educational resources, and strong support for emerging scholars. Efforts to engage with industry have been renewed—an important step toward ensuring the Institute’s continued growth and relevance within the broader engineering landscape. We have also made meaningful strides in connecting mechanics to global challenges related to sustainability, energy, resilience, and planetary health—areas where our discipline is uniquely positioned to lead.
The establishment of the EMI Younger Researchers Participation (YRP) Fund is among the initiatives I’m especially proud of—a fully tax-deductible initiative created with the support of the ASCE Foundation. This fund will play a vital role in enabling student competitions, career development workshops, educational resources, and other programs that empower the next generation of engineering mechanics leaders, while fostering greater inclusion and opportunity across our community.
Our community came together in remarkable ways through three major conferences: the 2024 EMI Annual Conference in Chicago, hosted by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, which welcomed over 1,000 participants from around the world and explored the theme “Advancing the Fundamentals to Engineer a Better Future”; the 2025 EMI Annual Conference in Anaheim, hosted by the University of California, Irvine, which attracted over 850 attendees and focused on “Mechanics for a Sustainable Future”; and the 2024 EMI International Conference at TU Wien in Austria, which significantly advanced our global engagement. These gatherings reflected the intellectual vibrancy and collaborative spirit that define EMI. I am also grateful to Verna Jameson and Tisha Kramer from EMI and ASCE for their outstanding administrative support, which was instrumental to the smooth functioning of the Institute throughout my term.
Looking ahead, EMI is well-positioned to shape the future of engineering mechanics with continued rigor, relevance, and vision—while deepening its global footprint by building lasting bridges across institutions, countries, and cultures. I am deeply grateful to have played a small part in this journey and excited for the Institute’s continued growth under new leadership.
Thank you for your trust, collaboration, and commitment to EMI. It has been a privilege to serve you.
With Warm Regards,
Arif Masud Ph.D., F. EMI, M. ASCE
President of EMI (2023–2025)
William J. and Elaine F. Hall Endowed Professor
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA