Distinguished Professor Zhengyi Jiang is an internationally recognised expert in innovative composite materials, advanced manufacturing and tribology. His research has advanced understanding of the mechanisms and fabrication technologies underlying new metallic composites and related materials. Since 2001, Dist. Prof. Jiang has established an independent research program spanning advanced manufacturing, innovative composites and tribology. He has attracted more than AUD 28 million in competitive and industry funding and published over 720 research outputs, with an h-index of 45 as of November 2024. He currently leads the ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Innovative Composites for the Future of Sustainable Mining Equipment at the University of Wollongong, as well as the Rolling Mechanics Group within the School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering. For more than 25 years, Dist. Prof. Jiang has collaborated with Australian and international mining and manufacturing partners to translate research into advanced materials and production technologies. His work has supported applications in mining, automotive, transportation and biomedical industries, including bimetal wear-resistant steel plates, titanium carbide–graphene self-lubricating composites, and lightweight corrosion-resistant roll-bonded clad steels. One of his low-carbon steel manufacturing methods generated annual savings of approximately AUD 5 million for an Australian steel manufacturer and more than AUD 30 million for overseas industry partners. Dist. Prof. Jiang also played a central role in establishing the Baosteel-Australia Joint Research and Development Centre. The collaboration, involving UOW, UQ, Monash, UNSW and Deakin, has generated approximately AUD 7 million in funding for UOW through 18 projects and trained more than 30 industry-ready PhD graduates. His contribution was recognised with a Highly Commended distinction in the 2019 UOW Vice-Chancellor's Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research Partnership and Impact. He has received more than 45 Australian and international awards, including the 2024 New Gold Owl Honorary Award, a 2023 Leverhulme Trust Visiting Professorship, the 2022 Ausinan Science & Technology Society President Award, the 2022 Best Editor Award from the International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing, and the 2016 UOW Vice-Chancellor's Researcher of the Year Award. Dist. Prof. Jiang has delivered more than 60 plenary and keynote presentations, chaired or co-chaired over 16 international conferences, serves on the editorial boards of nine international journals, and regularly reviews for more than 80 leading journals, including Acta Materialia, Advanced Materials, Carbon and Wear.