NSF division director Kon-Well Wang to visit campus, college

Kon-Well Wang

A top-level National Science Foundation administrator will speak about the past and future of Engineering Research Centers and offer a technical presentation at CU Boulder in mid-October. 

Kon-Well Wang, the division director of the Division of Engineering Education and Centers in the Directorate for Engineering at the National Science Foundation, will visit campus on Oct. 17 and 18. His agenda includes two public presentations, one hosted by the vice chancellor for research and innovation and the other by the College of Engineering and Applied Science. Both are open to students and faculty:

• “Engineering Research Centers – Past, Present and Future” – Noon to 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 17 at the UMC. Hosted by the vice chancellor for research and innovation. 
• “Learning from Nature: Multifunctional Adaptive Metastructures” – 3-4 p.m. on Oct. 17 in ECAD 109 (Clark Conference). Hosted by the College of Engineering and Applied Science’s Research Support Office 

Wang began his appointment with the NSF in January and is the Stephen P. Timoshenko Collegiate professor in the University of Michigan Department of Mechanical Engineering. He previously served for 10 years as that department’s chair.

Wang’s main research interests are in structural dynamics and vibration, including metastructures, origami mechanics and dynamics, and adaptive structural and materials systems. He holds a dozen patents and invention disclosures, has published more than 380 technical articles, and has advised over 50 doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows in research.

The NSF Division of Engineering Education and Centers in the Directorate for Engineering invests in the creation of 21st century engineers and the discovery of technologies through transformational center-based research. That includes the Engineering Research Centers program, research in education and inclusion and research opportunities for students and teachers.

For more information about this visit or to schedule a meeting with Wang, email Bill Doe in the Research Support Office.