Mission
The AVS Tennessee Valley Chapter advances the science and technology of materials, interfaces, and processing — the same broad mission that drives AVS nationally — for the researchers, students, and industry professionals of the Southeast.
Who we serve
The chapter’s territory spans five states:
Every National AVS member who lists an address in one of these states is automatically a member of the Tennessee Valley Chapter — there’s no separate sign-up. Chapter-sponsored activities are also open to non-members from the region who want to get involved.
A sample of major research universities across the region — shown for geographic context only, not a list of confirmed chapter partners or affiliations.
What the chapter does
- Short courses. The chapter periodically sponsors AVS short courses, typically in late fall or spring, adapted to the technical needs of the region. See Events & Short Courses.
- A regional community. With members spread across five states, the chapter is a connective layer between individual research groups and the full national AVS community.
- A path into national AVS. Chapter members have full access to AVS’s divisions, technical groups, student chapters, national symposia, and awards programs.
Governance
The chapter is governed by a set of chapter bylaws and run by a volunteer executive committee elected from the membership. See Officers & Executive Committee for current leadership, and the Resources page for the bylaws document.
Part of a national society
AVS (originally the American Vacuum Society) is a professional society covering materials, interfaces, and processing science, organized nationally into technical divisions and groups and regionally into chapters like this one. Learn more at avs.org.