The synergism of the mechanics of nondestructive testing and the mechanics of materials response has great potential value in an era of rapid development of new materials and new applications for con­ ventional materials. The two areas are closely related and an advance in one area often leads to an advance in the other. As our understanding of basic principles increases, nondestructive testing is outgrowing the image of "black box techniques" and is rapidly becoming a legitimate technical area of science and engineering. At the present time, however, an understanding of the mechanics of nondestructive testing is lagging behind other advances in the field. The key to further development in the mechanics of nondestructive testing lies in the mechanics of the phenomena or response being investigated - a better understanding of materials response suggests better nondestructive test methods to investigate the response which, in turn, advances our understanding of materials response, and so on. With this approach in mind, the Materials Response Group of the Engineering Science and Mechanics Department at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University hosted a Conference on the Mechanics of Nondestructive Testing on September 10 through 12, 1980. Sponsors of the conference were the Army Research Office, the National Science Foundation, and the Engineering Science and Mechanics Department.