Honorary Member

The grade of Honorary Member is the highest honor the Society can bestow. Honorary Members are approved by the Executive Board in accordance with Article IV, Section 4 of the Constitution which states, “An Honorary Member is an individual of widely recognized eminence in the field of experimental mechanics who is elected for life by unanimous secret ballot of the Executive Board upon written proposal by at least 25 Individual Members. Receipt of the proposal shall precede the election by at least 30 days. An Honorary Member shall have the same rights and privileges as an Individual Member. The number of living Honorary Members shall not exceed ten at any given time.”

Each new honorary member is notified of this honor by letter from the President of the Society and publicly honored by presentation of a plaque at the next meeting of the Society.

 

2022 Recipient

Picture of Michael Sutton

Michael A. Sutton
Prof. Michael A. Sutton is a Distinguished Research Professor at the University of South Carolina and Senior Scientific Officer at Correlated Solutions Incorporated. He received his Ph.D. in 1981 from the Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics at the University of Illinois under the direction of Prof. Charles E. Taylor. Prof. Sutton joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of South Carolina in 1982 where he has remained throughout his career. A member of the National Academies of Engineering in the US and Slovenia, he is a Fellow and Past-President of the Society for Experimental Mechanics (SEM), Fellow of American Society for Mechanical Engineering (ASME) and Founding President of the International Digital Image Correlation Society (iDICs). Prof. Sutton has made significant contributions in the fields of experimental mechanics and fracture mechanics. As one of the inventors of the digital image correlation methods used worldwide, he co-authored the first book on image correlation methods written eight book chapters focusing on DIC principles and applications and published over two hundred and thirty archival articles. Prof. Sutton’s current areas of research interest include fundamental concepts in 2D and 3D computer vision for deformation measurements, applications of StereoDIC methods in civil infrastructure, modeling of composite bonding during manufacturing, with special emphasis on measurement of traction-separation laws to predict defect formation and the integration of DIC measurements with finite element models. Prof. Sutton married Elizabeth Ann Severns in Carmi, Illinois in 1973. They have two married daughters, five grand-children and continue to reside in Columbia, South Carolina on a 12.5 acre urban farm and nature preserve.

Current Honorary Members

2021:  Gary Cloud 2017:  Cesar Sciammarella 2012:  William N. Sharpe, Jr.
2007:  Isaac M. Daniel 2003:  Wolfgang G. Knauss 2001:  Michael E. Fourney
1999:  Daniel Post 1994:  Albert S. Kobayashi 1983:  James W. Dally
 
Past Honorary Members listed by date of election.
 
2002-2012 - C.W. Smith 2000-2000 - Dominick J. DeMichele 1996-2011 - Felix Zandman
1992-2021 - Fred C. Bailey 1986-1988 - Raymond D. Mindlin 1984-1997 - Greer Ellis
1984-2000 - W.F. Riley 1983-2017 - Charles E. Taylor 1975-1996 - Thomas J. Dolan
1972-2000 - August J. Durelli 1969-1979 - Milton M. Leven 1969-2001 - Daniel C. Drucker
1968-1990 - William M. Murray 1968-2006 - J. Hans Meier 1959-1974 - Max M. Frocht
1956-1984 - Miklos Hetenyi 1953-1981 - Francis G. Tatnall