Dr. Darren Hartl, assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University, was recently named the chair of the Adaptive Structures and Material Systems (ASMS) Group, a branch of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME).
A branch designates a large organizational group within ASME that operates between the technical committee and division levels. The ASMS branch is the largest and most active branch under the aerospace division and is primarily concerned with adaptive structures consisting of smart materials with characteristics that can change in response to internal and external stimulation. The ASMS participates in and co-sponsors three international technical conferences, multiple awards, and a number of service and STEM outreach activities, managing the substantial budget required to execute each of these.
Hartl was elected to the role of branch treasurer in 2016 and has also served as branch co-chair, where he largely focused on executing the award-granting mission of the branch. As