Prof. Xi Dai was elected Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) upon nomination by the Division of Condensed Matter Physics. Prof. Dai was recognized by this prestigious Fellowship “for contribution in using ab initio calculations to pinpoint the material systems that realized quantum anomalous Hall effect, the Weyl Fermion, and 3D topological insulators.” The APS Fellowship Program was established to recognize members who have made exceptional contributions to the physics enterprise through outstanding research, leadership or service, or application of physics to science and technology. Each year, no more than 0.5% of the total APS membership is elected for Fellowship after a rigorous and competitive review process. 

Prof. Ding Pan was the recipient of a Croucher Innovation Award in 2018. Established in 2012, the Croucher Innovation Awards aim to recognize a small number of exceptionally talented scientists working at an internationally competitive level at a formative stage in their careers. Support from the Croucher Foundation will enable Prof. Pan to undertake the project “First-principles studies of carbon in the deep Earth”. In this Project, he will develop and apply computational and numerical methods from first principles to seek answers to the urgent and fundamental scientific questions relevant to sustainable development, e.g., water science, deep carbon cycle, and clean energy.

Prof. Ping Sheng was awarded the 2018 Rolf Landauer Medal by the International Associate for the Science of Electrical Transport and Optical Properties of Inhomogeneous Media (ETOPIM). The Landauer Medal is awarded once every 3 years for excellence in the field of composite science. Professor Sheng received the Medal “for his pioneering research contributions to the electrical transport and acoustic properties of inhomogeneous media that include the notable fluctuation-induced tunneling conduction mechanism and acoustic metamaterial.”

Prof. Shengwang Du was elected Fellow of the Optical Society (OSA) “for pioneering contributions in photon-atom quantum interaction, including generation and manipulation of narrowband biphotons, observation of optical precursors, and realization of non-traditional quantum heat engines.” The OSA Fellowship Program was established to recognize those who have served with distinction in the advancement of optics and photonics. The number of Fellows elected each year is limited to approximately 0.5% of the total OSA membership.