Mingwei Zhang Recognized as Early-Career Researcher in Structural Materials

The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, or TMS, has selected Mingwei Zhang, assistant professor of materials science and engineering at the University of California, Davis, for the 2026 Structural Materials Division, or SMD, Early Career Leaders Professional Development Award.  

The award recognizes three early-career structural materials researchers each year, granting each recipient TMS membership for the year and sponsorship to attend the TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition. This supports the professional development of these promising early-career members through leadership opportunities and networking.  

“Receiving this award is a great honor and very meaningful to me,” Zhang said. “I am excited about building long-term professional connections and becoming more involved in the broader TMS community.”  

Zhang joined UC Davis in 2023, and his research focuses on investigating the structural properties of alloys under extreme conditions and the development of next-generation structural materials. He earned his Ph.D. from UC Davis and his Bachelor of Engineering degree from Shanghai Jiao Tong University.