Award Opportunity

▪Acting Director of the Institute for Integrated Catalysis (IIC) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)

▪His research focuses on catalytic materials and reaction engineering, advancing energy and atom efficiency in the conversion of fossil fuels, biomass, CO₂, and waste plastics into fuels and chemicals.

▪Published ~450 peer-reviewed papers and holds 287 patents (111 U.S.), with >90% licensed to industry. A member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and A fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), AIChE, AAAS, and ACS.

▪Currently, serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief of Applied Catalysis B and Executive Editor of the Chemical Engineering Journal. Past Chairs of ACS ENFL and AIChE CRE. His honors include the 2025 AIChE Wilhelm Award, 2025 CACS Outstanding Achievement Award, 2025 NACS Robert Burwell Lectureship Award, 2021 ACS E.V. Murphree Award, 2019 AIChE Catalysis Practice Award, 2006 Asian American Engineer of the Year Award, etc.

▪For many years, he has worked hard to develop green polymer chemistry and biobased materials as platforms to produce eco-friendly and sustainable products. His research has ranged from fundamental investigations to applications, including the conversion of agricultural waste, polysaccharides, proteins, and triglycerides; biocatalysis; food packaging; and NMR analysis.

▪He has authored or co-authored over 330 papers, 27 patent publications, co-edited 25 books, and organized or co-organized 50 symposia since 2000.

▪He is active in the American Chemical Society (ACS) and has served in numerous leadership positions, including ACS President in 2021.  He is also a life member of the Chinese American Chemical Society (CACS). He has received several awards and recognition for his work, including AGFD Award for Advancement of Application of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (2025), Spencer Award (2022), Herty Medal (2022), ACS Fellow (2009), POLY Fellow (2010), AGFD Fellow (2018), ACS Volunteer Service Award (2016), and Outstanding Scientist of the Year at USDA Southern Regional Research Center (2019 and 2014). 

▪Dr. Yuan Cheng is the 2024 Chair of the East Chapter of the Chinese American Chemical Society and has served as a board member since 2015.

▪He earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Biophysics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2011 and completed his postdoctoral training in the lab of Nobel Laureates Dr. Mike Brown and Dr. Joe Goldstein at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

▪With over a decade of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Dr. Cheng has held key positions at companies such as Bristol Myers Squibb and Regeneron. Currently serving as an Associate Director, he leads a team focused on formulation and process development for antibody and gene therapy.Dr. Cheng has authored more than 25 publications in peer-reviewed journals and is an active member of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) and the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT). In 2023, he served as the President of AAPS Protein Purification, Storage, Transportation and Drug-Device Combination Community.

​Dr. Chu-An Chang holds a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from UC Berkeley and a B.S. in
Chemistry from National Taiwan University. Prior to retiring from ThermoFisher Scientific
in 2018, he spent over three decades as a research scientist in the biotech industry,
focusing on oligonucleotide synthesis and chemical modifications.
A Life Member of CACS since 1989, Dr. Chang has held leadership roles over 40 years
with the organization, including Chair of the Northern California Chapter (1990–1991).
He currently serves as National Treasurer and a member of the CACS Board of
Directors.

▪Dr. Allen Chan is an R&D Scientist developing and commercializing analytical techniques for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at Balazs NanoAnalysis - Air Liquide.

▪Allen received his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California, San Diego, his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of California, Riverside.

▪Prior to joining Air Liquide, he was a Research Scientist at zNano, LLC, focusing on the development and commercialization of thin-film coatings on membranes.

▪When not in the lab, he enjoys spending time with his family.

▪Dr. Zhiling Zheng leads the Deep Synthesis Lab starting in August 2025.

▪He completed his postdoctoral research in the Department of Chemical Engineering at MIT with Professor Klavs F. Jensen and earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley in 2023, under the mentorship of Professor Omar M. Yaghi. His doctoral research focused on sorbent-based atmospheric water harvesting. Previously, he received a B.A. in Chemistry from Cornell University.

▪Dr. Zheng’s current research integrates artificial intelligence and automation to accelerate the discovery of porous materials. His group investigates predictive synthesis strategies for metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs) to discover novel structures. He is also exploring the use of large language models (LLMs) to support data mining, reaction and materials design, and synthesis planning, aiming to advance the frontier of AI-driven chemical research.

▪Dr. Xizhe Zhao is a dedicated pharmaceutical scientist and rising leader in the field of non-viral drug delivery systems. Her research centers on developing and characterizing lipid and polymer-based nanoparticles for nucleic acid and biologic delivery, advancing therapeutic strategies for infectious diseases and genetic disorders.

▪She earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the City University of New York in 2019, She has published over ten peer-reviewed articles, contributed to national conferences including ACS and AAPS, and co-invented a patent for tunable antibody-conjugated nanoparticles. Beyond research,

▪Dr. Zhao has served as an adjunct assistant professor for a decade at the College of Staten Island, CUNY, teaching general, organic, and analytical chemistry. An active member of CACS since 2018, she has helped organize numerous symposiums, social events, and technical webinars, and currently serves as Secretary of the President’s Office of E-CACS, coordinating executive operations, managing documentation systems, and fostering community engagement.