By 2003, SOBRAC had 700 members, including 517 individual, 98 student, and 2 life members (including one international member). SOBRAC is also supported by 85 organizations from industry. In accordance with SOBRAC by-laws, the elected board of directors serve a three-year term.

SOBRAC's first president was Professor Jules Slama from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (1984-1985) and, in 2002, Prof. Samir N. Y. Gerges was elected for three years-from 2003 to 2005.

SOBRAC's main objective is to help diffuse information on acoustics and vibration among researchers, manufacturers, consultants, and users. This is carried out during regular annual meetings, symposia, and SOBRAC publications. SOBRAC publishes a biannual technical journal, Revista de Acústica e Vibrações, which covers the major fields in noise and vibration. About 100 pages are published in each issue. One thousand copies are distributed to society members in Brazil, and to other acoustical societies in South America, Portugal and Spain. This journal has a free yellow pages section for organizations and company members. SOBRAC has a web-site at http://www.sobrac.ufsc.br where all information and activity details can be found.

SOBRAC is a member of several international organizations; I-INCE (International Institute of Noise Control Engineering) since 1985, ICA (International Commission of Acoustics), and IIAV (International Institute of Acoustics and Vibration and FIA (Federação Iberoamericana de Acústica). SOBRAC has an observer at ICA, EAA, IIAV and also at I-INCE.

SOBRAC played an active role in the elaboration of the Brazilian “Law of Silence” in 1990, the “Vehicle Noise Law” in 1993, and Noise Labeling in 2000. SOBRAC has representatives in the Brazilian Institute of Standards and in other societies related to safety in the workplace, acoustic comfort and phonoaudiology.

SOBRAC has several active groups: the Vehicle Noise Group which has held a symposium every other year since 1991 in Sao Paulo, the Building Acoustics Group which holds a joint meeting with the Thermal & Ergonomic Groups of other societies, and the Hearing Conservation Group which works with safety medical officer groups of other societies such as those of Audiologists, Safety Officers, and Industrial Medical Officers.

SOBRAC has held annual meetings since 1980 in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Santa Maria, Belo Horizonte and Florianopolis. The most recent meeting was held in Rio de Janeiro from 2002 October 22 to 24. This congress was organized by SOBRAC members from the National Institute of Metrology in Acoustics (INMETRO) and attracted more than 400 participants and 12 manufacturer’s exhibitions.

SOBRAC has played a leading role in the creation of the Federacion IberoAmericana de Acustica (FIA) a federation of the acoustical societies of Argentina (AdAA), Brazil (SOBRAC), Chile (SoChA), Mexico (IMA), Peru (SoPeA) and Spain (SEA). FIA's first president was Professor Samir N. Y. Gerges, who presided up to 2002. Recently, in 2002 December, FIA organized its third meeting jointly with ASA and IMA in Cancun, Mexico, with over 1200 participants and 1100 papers.

It is our pleasure to cordially invite you to participate in INTER-NOISE 2005, the 34th International Congress and Exposition on Noise Control Engineering to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 2005 August 06-10.

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