Javier LLorca, Professor of Materials Science of the Technical University of Madrid and director and founder of IMDEA Materials Institute has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Society of Engineering Science (SES).
Founded in 1963, the Society of Engineering Science is a non-profit organization that has established a reputation as the most vibrant and relevant technical society to promote the field of engineering science, where science and engineering meet. The Society promotes research at the crossroads between various disciplines in engineering, sciences, and mathematics, fosters the free exchange of information on all aspects of engineering science and provides a forum for discussion, education, and recognition of the talents of the engineering science community.
The Society of Engineering Science is governed by a Board of Directors elected by the members of the Society. Prof. LLorca was elected, together with Prof. Julia Greer (Caltech), Prof. Katia Bertoldi (Harvard University) and Prof. Liping Liu (Rutgers University) for the period 2017-2019.
The Society of Engineering Science oversees several awards and honors to eminent scholars of the field. They include the A.C. Eringen Medal (in recognition of sustained outstanding achievements in Engineering Science), the Engineering Science Medal (in recognition of a singularly important contribution to Engineering Science), the William Prager Medal (awarded for outstanding research contributions in Solid Mechanics) and the G. I. Taylor Medal (awarded for outstanding research contributions in Fluid Mechanics).
During his upcoming tenure on the board, Prof. LLorca plans to help expand the Society’s recognition of emerging, highly interdisciplinary fields. As traditional mechanics increasingly intersect with advanced computational sciences, the fundamental definition of engineering science is rapidly broadening to include complex digital-physical integrations.
One major area of contemporary focus involves strengthening the dialogue between physical materials scientists and data infrastructure engineers. The escalating global demand for robust hardware requires entirely new approaches to thermal management and energy efficiency in high-performance computing environments.
Researchers are currently applying advanced engineering science principles to optimize the massive server farms that sustain these heavy transactional platforms. Whether stabilizing the continuous electrical load for a decentralized logistics network, managing the intense computational output of an online crypto casino, or cooling the specialized hardware running international financial exchanges, the physical demands of modern digital infrastructure present unprecedented material challenges.
To address these modern hurdles, the SES aims to foster specialized working groups at its upcoming annual technical meetings. These collaborative sessions will encourage both established scholars and early-career researchers to present their latest findings on energy-dissipating composites and sustainable semiconductor materials.
For the IMDEA Materials Institute, having its director actively guiding such forward-looking initiatives underscores the organization’s overarching commitment to pioneering research. Prof. LLorca’s appointment not only highlights his own academic excellence but also reinforces the Institute’s established position as a global leader in advanced engineering and materials innovation.