Contact: Robbie Ward
STARKVILLE, Miss.-The head of Mississippi State's aerospace engineering department is the new president-elect of American Society for Composites.
Anthony J. Vizzini joined the university faculty in 2003, a year prior to his selection as an ASC Fellow. He is a doctoral graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In addition to administrative duties, he holds the Bill and Carolyn Cobb Chair in the Bagley College of Engineering.
ASC includes an all-volunteer group of members from academia, industry, national laboratories, and federal agencies. Established in 1985, it works to promote the understanding and application of composite materials.
Vizzini will serve as president-elect for two years beginning in 2008, followed by a two-year term as president. He then concludes the tenure with two years as past president.
In addition to those leadership responsibilities, Vizzini will be general chair of the 23rd ASC Technical Conference to be held next September in Memphis, Tenn.
As a result of the group's research, almost every U.S. industry now uses some form of composite materials to make their products lightweight and more versatile. For instance, many medical implants are made from composite materials, as are golf clubs, tennis rackets, automotive parts, and high-voltage utility poles.
The aerospace industry also has adopted composite material for the construction of airplanes that are more durable and energy efficient. The new Boeing 787 Dreamliner is among this group.
NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: For more information, contact Dr. Vizzini at 662-325-1148 or vizzini@AE.msstate.edu.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.