UCLA’s Xiaochun Li elected to the National Academy of Engineering

Xiaochun Li, a professor at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, one of the highest professional honors granted to American engineers.

He is among the 130 new members and 28 international members announced today by the academy in honor of their outstanding contributions to engineering research, practice and education.

Li, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and of materials science and engineering who holds UCLA's Raytheon Company Chair in Manufacturing Engineering, was recognized for his leadership in "nanotechnology-enabled solidification-based manufacturing processes of high-performance metal products."

A pioneer in 21st-century manufacturing technologies, Li has transformed metal manufacturing across the aerospace, automotive, defense and consumer electronics industries. His innovations have ushered in a new era of mass production for nanotechnology-enhanced metals - including high-performance aluminum and magnesium alloys - and have led to more than 30 patents, 10 of which have been licensed and are used worldwide.

In particular, his nanotechnology-enabled processes and systems have resulted in major advances in arc welding, laser melting, die-casting and additive manufacturing that have helped expand manufacturing capabilities while meeting energy efficiency and sustainability goals.

At UCLA, Li directs the SciFacturing Lab and previously served as the inaugural technical director for the Smart Manufacturing Innovation Center, part of the Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy. He is also a faculty member of the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA and of UCLA's Samueli's B. John Garrick Institute for the Risk Sciences.

Li also has been actively involved in the manufacturing community as an editor, conference chair and committee member, serving as co-chair of the International Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference and the North American Manufacturing Research Conference in 2013 and 2017. From 2007 to 2009, he was chair of the Micro/Nano Manufacturing Technical Committee for ASME, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Among his many honors, Li has received the 2025 Frederick W. Taylor Medal from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), the 2022 William T. Ennor Manufacturing Technology Award from ASME, the 2008 Howard F. Taylor Award from the American Foundry Society and the 2003 Jiri Tlusty Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award from ASME.

An elected fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, ASME, SME and the International Society for Nanomanufacturing, Li is also the founder of MetaLi LLC, which specializes in nanotechnology-enhanced manufacturing processes and systems for solidification-based processing, including welding, casting and additive manufacturing of high-performance metal products.

Founded in 1964, the nonprofit National Academy of Engineering is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. The academy has more than 2,800 peer-elected members and international members, including senior professionals in business, academia and government who are among the world's most accomplished engineers. The academy provides expert advice to the nation on matters involving engineering and technology.