Xun-Li Wang - Candidate for International Councilor

Chair Professor and Head
City University of Hong Kong

Educational History

• Post-Doctoral Fellow, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (1992-1994)
• PhD, Iowa State University (1992)
• BS, Peking University (1985)

URL for Full Bio or CV

• Xun-Li Wang Bio/CV

Top 5 Honors, Awards, or Recognition

• Fellow, American Physical Society (2010)
• Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (2017)
• Inaugural Chair, Gordon Research Conference on Neutron Scattering (2015)
• Croucher Senior Research Fellowship (2021)
• CUSPEA Scholar (1986)

Membership in Other Societies

• Physical Society of Hong Kong
• Chinese Physical Society
• American Association for the Advancement of Science
• The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS)
• Materials Research Society (MRS)

Other Relevant Experience

• President, Physical Society of Hong Kong (2020-2023)
• Chair, Chemistry and Physics of Materials Committee, TMS (2011-2013)
• I organized several symposiums at TMS and MRS on neutron and synchrotron scattering.

Candidate Statement

The mission of APS has been to advance and diffuse the knowledge of physics for the benefit of humanity, promote physics, and serve the broader physics community. In recent years, the scope of physics research and knowledge has been expanding at an unprecedented pace. In an PRL editorial marking the 125th anniversary of Physical Review, the editors noted, “…today’s physics research is much more about interwoven disciplines—physics with chemistry, biology, materials science, and others.” This diversity underscores the need for collaboration and cross-fertilization between different branches of physics, with other communities, and across different regions.

I am a neutron scattering scientist working at the interface of condensed matter physics and materials science. I am also a frequent user of many world-leading synchrotron x-ray facilities. My research focuses on phase transformation and deformation, and I led the construction of the VULCAN neutron diffractometer when I served as an instrument scientist at the Spallation Neutron Source, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. I moved to City University Hong Kong (CityU) 10 years ago, where I oversaw a rapid build-up of a new physics department from ground-up. I continued my research at CityU with neutron and synchrotron scattering, where international collaboration is a must.

I believe that my physics training and diverse experience in different roles will help me to serve APS well. If elected as International Counselor, I would like to strengthen the connection between APS and the Asian-Pacific physics community. As President of the Physical Society of Hong Kong (2020-2023), I have had the opportunity to interact with leaders of other physics societies in the Asia and Pacific region, and I have come to realize that there is so much we can do together, to learn from each other and collaborate in education, research, and outreach activities, especially in light of the rapid growth and diverse communities in Asia. The Covid-19 pandemic caused a lot of disruption for international exchange. As the world starts to open up, it is time to reset and engage. I am excited about the opportunity to serve.

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