Prof. TieJun (TJ) Zhang is an Associate Dean of the College of Engineering and Physical Science and Professor of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering at the Khalifa University of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi, UAE. He is also a Member of the Mohammed bin Rashid Academy of Scientists of UAE and the Theme Leader of ASPIRE Virtual Research Institute for Sustainability (Energy) in Abu Dhabi.

He was an Assistant Professor at the Masdar Institute in Abu Dhabi, a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in the USA. As one of the World’s Top 2% Scientists, he has over 160 peer-reviewed publications and multiple international patents.

As an educator, he has mentored over 60 PhD and MSc students and research staff, as well as many intern students. Prof. Zhang is the recipient of the UAE National Research Foundation University-Industry Research Collaboration Award, the Abu Dhabi Award for Research Excellence, and the US National Academy of Sciences Arab-American Frontiers Fellowship Award.

He has been the Principal Investigator of many research projects (over US$15 million) on energy, water, and micro/nanotechnologies, and also serves as the Executive Board Member of the Asian Union of Thermal Science and Engineering. Prof. Zhang is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Micro and Nano-Manufacturing of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

He was the co-chair (Arab-side) of the Fourth Arab-American Frontiers of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Symposium between the USA and 22 Arab countries (organized by the US National Academies). He has been an invited reviewer for many international research proposals, doctoral dissertations, and over 60 scientific journals.