Research Directions in Distributed Parameter Systems is composed of eleven chapters, written by experts in their respective fields, on topics ranging from control of the Navier-Stokes equations to nondestructive evaluation - all of which are modeled by distributed parameters systems. Written by the plenary speakers for the Conference on Future Directions in Distributed Parameter Systems (October 2000), the volume addresses the state of the art, open questions, and important research directions in applications modeled by partial differential equations and delay systems, with the ultimate goal of passing along these perspectives to researchers in the field.