Congratulations to Professor Lianzhou Wang and Professor Xiwang Zhang on being elected as Fellows of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE).
Chosen by their peers, they are part of an exclusive group of 32 innovators in the 2024 cohort, and they are the only two honourees from UQ.
Professor Lianzhou Wang has added yet another accolade to an impressive list of achievements in 2024.
Having already been named The University of Queensland’s first ever Australian Research Council Industry Laureate Fellow - as well as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science – Professor Wang is now a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering.
Professor Wang is a senior group leader and Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow within the School of Chemical Engineering and the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, where he is focussed on the clean energy sector, and developing new functional materials for solar energy conversion and storage systems.
He contributes his expertise and mentorship through numerous leadership roles, including as the president of the Australian Materials Research Society, chair of the National Committee for Materials Science and Engineering, and as a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and Academia Europaea.
Professor Wang’s work in renewable energy applications at UQ earned him an ARC Laureate Fellowship in 2019 after his lab set the world record for efficiency in quantum dot solar cells.
Professor Xiwang Zhang is internationally recognised for his innovative work on membrane science and technology, addressing pressing issues at the intersection of water, environment, and climate change.
Professor Zhang was a finalist in the prestigious 2024 Eureka Prize for Innovative Research in Sustainability for his work on a small, proof-of-concept nanogenerator that is carbon negative because it consumes greenhouse gas.
As a visionary interdisciplinary leader, he leads the ARC Centre of Excellence for Green Electrochemical Transformation of Carbon Dioxide (GETCO2), a national initiative focused on converting CO2 to valuable products that launched earlier this year.
Professor Zhang also established the ARC Industry Transformation Hub for Energy-Efficient Separation (EESep) that translated membrane science and technology into practical solutions across a range of fields, including clean water production, wastewater recycling, biotechnology, mining and more.
His leadership is driving technology innovation for decarbonisation, playing a pivotal role in the global fight against climate change.
Head of the School of Chemical Engineering, Professor Justin Cooper-White congratulated the pair on this remarkable achievement, which underscores the global impact of our community.
“This prestigious recognition not only highlights the individual excellence of both Lianzhou and Xiwang, but also reflects the exceptional work of their research teams and the outstanding reputation of our School,” Professor Cooper-White said.
