Manfred Zehn 

From an early age, my mother told me I knew what I wanted to be: an engineer. Some years later, I graduated in Mechanical Engineering/Engineering Mechanics from Otto-von-Guericke-University of Magdeburg, doctorated 1981 in Structural Dynamics, and got habilitation in engineering mechanics in 1989. In mid 1970’s, while at Otto-von-Guericke-University, I became involved in structural dynamic research based on FEM.

Since graduation I have spent over 25 years in FE code development, research and consulting for various industries. In 1990 I was one of the founders of FEMCOS Ltd , a consultancy and research company in FEA and engineering simulation, involved to a large extent in industrial problems. I am a full professor for structural and computational mechanics at Technische Universität Berlin and director of the institute of mechanics, I am teaching in subjects associated with engineering mechanics/structural mechanics and dynamics. I am a member in a number of engineering bodies among them the national reactor safety commission. My principle areas of research are structural mechanics and  structural dynamics, fast FE algorithms, modal analysis,  composites, etc.

My first interest in NAFEMS goes back to the late eighties. I was so enthusiastic about NAFEMS that I went to the (at that time) National Engineering Laboratory in East Kilbride, Scotland, to met Bill Mair, the then Chief Executive of NAFEMS.  From that time on I become a committed and keen supporter of the NAFEMS mission. Since 1993 I have served on the German Steering Committee of NAFEMS and in 1999 I became a member of the NAFEMS council, where I have contributed to the setting of new strategic directions and the promotion of NAFEMS. I have been Vice Chairman of NAFEMS since elected in 2004.