SORMA West 2020 is the 18th in a series of technical meetings dealing with ionizing radiation and its applications. The SORMA conference series began in 1964, and at first was convened every four to five years at its University of Michigan home. As radiation detectors increased in number, variety, and societal importance, SORMA West was added so that the forum would be available every two years.
SORMA 2018 in Ann Arbor, Michigan continued the original Symposium tradition of representing the full breadth of ionizing radiation measurement applications and technologies. The SORMA West 2020 Organizing Committee has decided to stay with the security-applications theme of SORMA West 2016.
Where SORMA West 2016 surveyed the significant investments made in these areas over the prior decade, SORMA West 2021 (redesigned as a virtual event after SORMA West 2020 had to be cancelled due to the pandemic) will shift the focus toward emerging technologies with the potential to significantly advance security applications.