▁Di pl oma ▁and ▁associate ▁degree ▁gradu ates . ▁The ▁color ▁of ▁the ▁st ole ▁can ▁either ▁mean ▁the ▁general ▁color ▁for ▁D eg ree , ▁Di pl oma ▁or ▁Cert ificate ▁gradu ates , ▁or ▁it ▁can ▁mean ▁the ▁Fac ulty ▁of ▁the ▁award , ▁e . g . ▁dark ▁blue ▁might ▁mean ▁that ▁the ▁gradu ate ▁has ▁been ▁awarded ▁a ▁Di pl oma ▁or ▁Cert ificate ▁in ▁the ▁Arts ▁Fac ulty . ▁ ▁Academ ic ▁st oles ▁made ▁of ▁k ente ▁cloth ▁are ▁often ▁used ▁by ▁African ▁Americans ▁as ▁a ▁symbol ▁of ▁eth nic ▁pride . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁Academ ic ▁degree ▁Rob e ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Sto le <0x0A> </s> ▁The ▁International ▁Society ▁for ▁Struct ural ▁and ▁Mult id is cipl inary ▁Opt im ization ▁is ▁a ▁learned ▁society ▁in ▁the ▁field ▁of ▁mult id is cipl inary ▁design ▁optimization ▁that ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 9 1 . ▁It ▁has ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁members ▁in ▁ 4 5 ▁countries . ▁The ▁current ▁president ▁is ▁Wei ▁Chen ▁( N orth western ▁University ). ▁The ▁society ▁is ▁an ▁affili ated ▁organization ▁of ▁the ▁International ▁Union ▁of ▁The oret ical ▁and ▁App lied ▁Mechan ics ▁( I UT AM ). ▁ ▁Object ives ▁ ▁The ▁object ives ▁are : ▁ ▁to ▁stim ulate ▁and ▁promote ▁research ▁into ▁all ▁aspects ▁of ▁the ▁optimal ▁design ▁of ▁structures ▁and ▁related ▁topics , ▁including ▁engineering ▁systems ▁consisting ▁partially ▁of ▁structures ▁and / or ▁flu ids ; ▁ ▁to ▁encou rage