This volume is dedicated to Jacob Aboudi, a ?ne scientist who has made seminal c- tributions in applied mechanics. The papers presented here re?ect the appreciation of many of Jacob's colleagues. A publication list f- lowing this introduction provides an indi- tion of his distinguished academic career, c- rently in its ?fth decade, and the breadth of hisknowledge. His papersconsistentlydem- strate originality, innovation and diligence. This list uncovers the methodical work of a dedicated researcher whose achievements established him as a leading authority in the area of mathematical modeling of the beh- ior of heterogeneous materials, the area which became known as homogenization theory. Starting in 1981, Jacob established a micromechanical model known as the Method of Cells (MOC) which evolved into the Generalized Method of Cells (GMC) that predicts the macroscopic response of composite materials as a function of the pr- erties, volume fractions, shapes, and constitutive behavior of its constituents. The versatility of the model has been demonstrated to effectively incorporate various types of constituent material behavior (i. e. , both coupled and uncoupled mecha- cal, thermal, electrical and magnetic effects). As a result of its potential in providing an ef?cient tool for the emerging ?eld of multiscale analysis, the method gained increasing attention and became a subject for further research.