Ling Zang
Ling Zang, a University of Utah materials science and engineering professor, has been elected as the newest fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. Zang’s research into nanomaterials and chemical sensors has created better technologies to detect explosives and toxic chemicals. Zang is among 175 fellows elected in 2020 by the academy and the only one from Utah and the University of Utah this year. The academy is a nonprofit organization founded in 2010 that recognizes and encourages inventors, enhances the visibility of the university, educates and mentors students, and publicizes the inventions of its members. In addition to nanomaterials and chemical sensors, Zang’s research also focuses on organic semiconductors and nanostructures, optoelectronic nanodevices, and photocatalysis and photovoltaics for conversion of solar energy. He is the founder of two companies: Vaporsens and Metallosensors. Zang has been an assistant professor at Southern Illinois University, associate professor (and later professor) in the UofU’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and has an appointment as an adjunct professor in the UofU’s Department of Chemistry.
