Ali Raza Shaikh | Mechanical Engineering | Research Excellence Award

Mr. Ali Raza Shaikh | Mechanical Engineering | Research Excellence Award

Technical University of Darmstadt | Germany

Ali Raza Shaikh is a dedicated mechanical engineer and researcher specializing in fluid mechanics, heat transfer, ice adhesion, aerodynamics, and surface-interface science. He holds a B.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering, an M.Eng. in Power Engineering and Engineering Thermophysics, and is currently pursuing a Dr.-Ing. in Mechanical Engineering. With extensive research and practical experience, he has developed experimental setups, conducted thermal-fluid and droplet impact studies, and contributed to advancements in superhydrophobic and anti-icing surfaces. He has served as a research assistant in the MSCA-ITN SURFICE project, conducted industrial research internships, and held graduate research positions, collaborating on international projects and presenting findings at leading conferences. His technical expertise spans experimental design, surface characterization, high-speed imaging, and numerical simulations, complemented by proficiency in MATLAB, Python, LabView, CAD, and LaTeX. His research interests focus on ice adhesion dynamics, surface wetting, thermal-fluid interactions, and functional surface design. Ali has actively participated in workshops and training schools worldwide, contributing to knowledge exchange and innovation in engineering applications. His dedication to advancing research and practical solutions in fluid mechanics and surface science underscores his commitment to scientific excellence and technological development.

View Orcid Profile
View Google Scholar Profile

Featured Publications


Transient testing of tensile ice adhesion

– Cold Regions Science and Technology, 2025

Ice adhesion dynamics in the tensile mode

– Smart Surface Design for Efficient Ice Protection and Control, 2025

The physics of icing

– Smart Surface Design for Efficient Ice Protection and Control, 2025

Understanding the physics of ice adhesion on complex substrates

– International Conference on Icing of Aircraft, Engines, and Structure, 2023

Chien-Yu Tseng | Materials Science and Engineering  | Research Excellence Award

Ms. Chien-Yu Tseng | Materials Science and Engineering  | Research Excellence Award

National Taiwan University | Taiwan

Chien-Yu Tseng is a materials science researcher specializing in microstructural evolution, phase transformations, and advanced electron microscopy of steels and alloys. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at National Taiwan University, where she previously completed both her M.S. and B.S. degrees, consistently ranking first in her cohort and receiving the President’s Award for Academic Excellence. Her expertise spans SEM, EBSD, TEM/STEM, XRD, alloy design, heat treatment, and mechanical testing, with extensive experience analyzing precipitation-hardening stainless steels, duplex stainless steels, interstitial-free steels, medium-entropy alloys, and 22MnB5 steel. She has led microstructural characterization in a multi-year industry–academia collaboration and contributed to several academic studies involving martensitic transformation, austenite stability, ferrite formation, deformation twinning, and precipitation mechanisms. Her research integrates experimental metallurgy with advanced microscopy to correlate processing, microstructure, and mechanical behavior, offering insights that support alloy development and performance optimization. Through investigations on repeated tempering, thermo-mechanical processing, and hierarchical martensite structures, she aims to advance the understanding of structure–property relationships in complex metallic systems. Her long-term goal is to contribute to next-generation alloy design and high-performance materials engineering through rigorous characterization and mechanistic interpretation.

Profile : Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Hsiao, T.J., Chiu, P.H., Tai, C.L., Tsao, T.C., Tseng, C.Y., Lin, Y.X., Chen, H.R., … (2022). “Effect of Cu additions on the evolution of eta-prime precipitates in aged AA 7075 Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloys” in Metals.

Tai, C.L., Tai, P.J., Hsiao, T.J., Chiu, P.H., Tseng, C.Y., Tsao, T.C., Chung, T.F., … (2022). “Effect of natural ageing on subsequent artificial ageing of AA7075 aluminum alloy” in Metals.

Tseng, C.Y., Lin, J.W., Tai, C.L., Chung, T.F., Yang, Y.L., Tsao, T.C., Lu, S.Y., Chen, J.J., … (2024). “Effect of repeated-tempering induced martensite on the microstructural evolution in 17–7 PH stainless steel” in Materials Characterization.

Chen, J.J., Chiu, P.H., Chen, T.J., Tsao, T.C., Chen, Y.A., Lu, S.Y., Tseng, C.Y., Tai, C.L., … (2024). “Evolution of deformation structures in CrCoNiSi0.3 medium entropy alloy subjected to high-strain-rate and quasi-static compressive deformation” in Materials Characterization.

Tai, C.L., Lin, Y.X., Tseng, C.Y., Chung, T.F., Yang, Y.L., Tsao, T.C., Lu, S.Y., Chiu, P.H., … (2024). “Effects of different combinations of artificial ageing and warm forming on Ω phase and S phase evolutions in an Al-5.1Cu-1.0Mg-0.4Ag high strength aluminum alloy” in Materials Science and Engineering: A.

Noriaki Hirota | Material | Excellence in Research

Dr. Noriaki Hirota | Material | Excellence in Research

Japan Atomic Energy Agency | Japan

Dr. Noriaki Hirota is an accomplished materials scientist and Associate Deputy Director at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, where he contributes extensively to research in structural and functional materials within the nuclear energy sector. He earned both his master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Materials Science from the Institute of Science Tokyo, with his doctoral research completed in 2025. With over 19 years of professional experience, Dr. Hirota has worked at the intersection of metallurgy, corrosion science, and mechanical engineering. During his tenure at Japan Steel Works, he developed high-performance turbine rotor materials for thermal power generation and advanced stainless steel forging processes. His subsequent work at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency has focused on developing corrosion-resistant materials for sulfuric acid decomposers in the Sulfur-Iodine hydrogen production process and improving stainless steels to mitigate stress corrosion cracking under extreme nuclear conditions. A member of The Atomic Energy Society of Japan (AESJ), he has authored several impactful publications in nuclear materials research. His work has significantly advanced the understanding of material durability and performance in harsh environments, earning him recognition for his technical innovation and leadership. Dr. Hirota remains committed to promoting sustainable energy solutions through advanced materials development.

Profile: Orcid

Featured Publications

Hirota, N., Takeda, R., Ide, H., Tsuchiya, K., & Kobayashi, Y. (2025, December). Effect of grain refinement on cracks occurring in SUS304L stainless steel under nuclear reactor operating conditions. Nuclear Materials and Energy.

Hirota, N., Shibata, H., Takeuchi, T., Otsuka, N., & Tsuchiya, K. (2020, December 1). Voltage drop analysis and leakage suppression design for mineral-insulated cables. Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology,