2024 University System of Maryland Board of Regents Faculty Award for Excellence in Mentoring
Liang Zhu, Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Liang Zhu is known for her strong commitment to diversity and inclusion which is evident in the work she does on campus. In 2010, Professor Zhu established the Mechanical Engineering S-STEM Scholarship Program, which focuses on mentoring and supporting activities and increasing research participation for economically disadvantaged and academically talented students. The program has supported 135 students since then. Professor Zhu’s mentorship does not stop at the undergraduate level however. She is an active leading member of Women in Science and Engineering and the Asian and Asian American Faculty and Staff Council, where she mentors junior faculty members on the UMBC campus. She earned her B.S. in engineering thermophysics from the University of Science and Technology of China and her Ph.D. in engineering from City University of New York.