The Advanced Technology Center for Surface Engineered Materials (ATC-SEM) is a bold experiment in research management. Scientists from its five member institutions work independently within a central framework for overall planning and for the allocation of resources. Access to areas of expertise beyond the compass of the individual institutions more than offsets the logistical problems inherent in the distributed nature of the organization.

ATC-SEM had its origins in 1988 as one of a number of Advanced Technology Centers established by a grant from the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology after approval of the Jobs, Education, and Competitiveness Bond Act. All the ATCs are dedicated to improving the competitiveness of New Jersey's industry through the application of technology.

The ATM-SEM is administered through Associated Institutions for Material Sciences (AIMS) which has six member institutions, five of which are universities. AIMS also administers other multicampus programs in New Jersey, including the New Jersey NASA space grant consortium and a SEMATECH Center of Excellence. The hallmark of each program is a collaborative effort which transcends the capabilities of any of the individual campuses. The consortium member institutions span the private, public, and industrial sectors and comprise the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Rutgers (the State University of New Jersey), Stevens Institute of Technology, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and David Sarnoff Research Center (an independent contract research center).

If one defines a polymeric material as a piece of matter designed for a given and usable property, this property is not related simply to the chemical formula of the polymer. The chemical and stereochemical defects occurring during synthesis, structural organization, and processing must all be characterized, understood, and controlled.

Institute C. Sadron (ICS), established in 1954 by the French National Research organization (CNRS) as the Centre de Recherches sur les Macromolécules under the inspiration and direction of Prof. Ch. Sadron, has progressively shifted from polymer synthesis and characterization toward the understanding of the structure-property relationship in the sense just described. This has involved the creation of an engineering school staffed with equipment and research teams in rheology, processing, and mechanical properties. More than 60 permanent scientists and university professors work in the Institute; about 20 theses are submitted each year. ICS now covers a broad range of competencies, from synthesis to processing through most techniques of characterization and theoretical modeling at the molecular and macroscopic levels. This opens the way to a comprehensive research effort, which is illustrated here for polymer blends.

I presume that many of you will be surprised to learn that John von Neumann, a great mathematician, and a remarkable man, had even a passing interest in materials science since his name is usually associated with work in function theory, mathematical logic, the mathematical foundations of quantum mechanics, game theory, and of course with the development of computer logic. Actually, he was deeply interested in the evolution of materials science and technology, and he played an important role in giving prominence to materials science at a critical time in its evolution. But first let me tell you a little about his life.

John von Neumann was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1903 into a prominent business family. His mathematical genius was recognized early by his high school teacher, Lázsló Ratz, who insisted that he receive special tutoring since mathematical geniuses tend to flower early. He became a close and, indeed, a lifetime friend of a slightly older fellow student, Eugene Wigner, who was inspired by the same mathematics teacher. The two of them frequently wandered home together after school, with von Neumann providing a tutorial on some aspect of mathematics while Wigner, who had a comparably brilliant mind, absorbed everything. The two students had different personalities, but shared a great love of mathematics.

Von Neumann was never a narrow genius. He soaked up knowledge of all kinds rapidly and was exposed to much because the von Neumann family dinner gatherings were devoted to discussions of technical, historical and cultural affairs, as well as business. This great versatility in interests was a characteristic trademark of von Neumann‘s entire life.