Conference Chairs: Akhlesh Lakhtakia, The Pennsylvania State Univ.; Graeme A. Dewar, Univ. of North Dakota; Martin W. McCall, Imperial College (UK)

Program Committee: John M. Arnold, Univ. of Glasgow (UK); Toru Asahi, Waseda University (Japan); Partha P. Banerjee, Univ. of Dayton; Allan D. Boardman, Univ. of Salford (UK); Mary H. Boghosian, Jet Propulsion Lab.; Brian Fishbine, Los Alamos National Lab.; Ian J. Hodgkinson, Univ. of Otago (New Zealand); Dikshitulu K. Kalluri, Univ. of Massachusetts/Lowell; Clive A. Randall, The Pennsylvania State Univ.; Andrei K. Sarychev, New Mexico State University; Walid Tabbara, Supélec (France); Vijayakumar C. Venugopal, Lam Research Corp.; Peidong Yang, University of California at Berkeley

Scientific and technological progress during the second half of the 20th century has been dominated by the conceptualization, characterization, fabrication, and application of many different classes of materials. Although some of these materials are found in nature, laboratory processing is often needed for efficient use. Others are entirely synthetic, created by chemical and physical processes. Certain materials are multiphase composites designed for certain desirable response properties otherwise unavailable. Multifunctional materials as well as functional gradient materials are often needed for special purposes. Nanostructural engineering is often used to make material samples with the same chemical composition but different response characteristics.

The Complex Mediums series of conferences provides a forum for scientists and engineers specializing in one or several classes of complex mediums to benefit from each other's specialist knowledge. A major aim is the creation of interdisciplinary links among trend setting specialists in diverse fields. Please join the bulletin board Complex Mediums.

A past-President of SPIE, H. John Caulfield (Fisk University) has consented to deliver the Inaugural Lecture on optical applications of spatially randomized materials.

The following specialists have agreed to deliver Critical Review Lectures:

David Andrews (University of East Anglia, UK) on energy-harvesting materials;

Partha Banerjee (University of Dayton) on nonlinear liquid crystals;

Lawrence Crum (University of Washington) on sonoluminescence;

William Firth (University of Strathclyde, UK) on optical patterns and nonlinear spatial structures;

Brian Fishbine (Los Alamos National Lab.) on carbon-nanotube composites;

Geoffrey Smith (University of Technology, Sydney) on nanostructured thin films;

Peidong Yang (University of California at Berkeley) on nanowire photonics.

Furthermore, the following specialists have agreed to deliver 30-minute Key Lectures:

John Arnold (University of Glasgow, UK) on nanostructured laser-gain materials;

Toru Asahi (Waseda University, Japan) on circular dichroism;

Mary Boghosian (Jet Propulsion Lab.) on space applications of complex mediums;

Ian Hodgkinson (University of Otago, New Zealand) on chiral sculptured thin films;

Magdy Iskander (University of Utah) on electromagnetics materials education;

Larisa Panina (University of Plymouth, UK) on giant magneto-impedance;

Mathias Schubert (University of Nebraska at Lincoln) on generalized ellipsometry of complex layered mediums;

Walid Tabbara (Supélec, France) on statistics and electromagnetic compatibility;

Werner Weiglhofer (University of Glasgow, UK) on linear and nonlinear constitutive relations;

Nikolay Zheludev (University of Southampton, UK) on layered chiral metallic metamaterials.

Students and novice researchers shall find the scope of Critical Review Lectures and Key Lectures very useful in initiating new avenues of research.

Original unpublished contributions are invited and solicited for oral and poster presentations. Reports of experimental research are especially welcome. All abstracts will be reviewed for competitive selection with respect to novelty, scientific and technological utility, and vision. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: