[{Image src='holzapfel_gerhard_small.jpg' caption='' height='280' alt='Gerhard Holzapfel' class='image_left'}]
!!Gerhard A. Holzapfel is the 2021 William Prager Medalist

__[Gerhard A. Holzapfel|Member/Holzapfel_Gerhard_A],  Professor of Biomechanics at the [Graz University of Technology|https://www.tugraz.at/home] and a member of the [Physics and Engineering Science section|Acad_Main/Sections/Physics_engineering_sciences] of the Academy, was awarded the [2021 William Prager Medal|https://socengsci.org/prager-medal] for "''for outstanding contributions to the inspirational application of solid mechanics in the development of continuum theory, computational methods, simulation and experiment in the biomechanics of soft biological materials''". __

!William Prager Medal

The prize is in the form of a medal, the William Prager Medal, bearing the likeness of the person for whom the award is named and a monetary award of $2000. The prize is awarded for outstanding research contributions in either theoretical or experimental Solid Mechanics or both. The recipient is invited to give an address at the annual meeting of the society. The recipient need not be a member of the Society, but becomes a lifetime member upon receipt of the medal.

!The Academy congratulates Prof. Holzapfel to this distinction!