Prof.  Fabrizio Scarpa visisted the Center for Smart Materials and Structures,  Feb. 24th 2011. and gave a talk at the same time. Prof. F. Scarpa  obtained a MEng in Aeronautical Engineering and a Ph.D in Machine Design  at the Politecnico of Torino, Italy. In 1997 he joined the Dynamics  Research Group at the University of Sheffield to work in the field of  Negative Poissons Ratio Materials for vibroacoustic applications. He  then became Lecturer and Senior Lecturer at the Department of Mechanical  Engineering of Sheffield working as Aerospace Departmental Coordinator  and International Student Exchange Officer. He joined the Department of  Aerospace Engineering in Bristol in 2005. Prof. F. Scarpa is Principal  Investigator in EPSRC, European Framework 6, Transfer Technology  partnerhips and DTI projects, working also in International  Collaboration projects with US Army ARO and Georgia Institute of  Technology.