Guangzhao Mao named chair of Wayne State University Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

Guangzhao Mao, professor of chemical engineering and materials science, has been appointed chair of the Wayne State University Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science in the College of Engineering. This five-year appointment begins Aug. 19.

Mao joined Wayne State University as an assistant professor in 1995. She has served as director of the graduate program in materials science and director of the certificate program in polymer engineering. She also is a founding director of the nanoengineering undergraduate certificate program and co-director of the multidisciplinary nanotechnology incubator program.

"I am extremely pleased that Guangzhao has accepted this role, said Farshad Fotouhi, dean of the College of Engineering. "She has done incredible work as a professor, researcher and program director, bringing much attention to Wayne State. The department, and students in particular, will benefit immensely from her leadership and vision."

An expert in nanomaterials, Mao's research has received over $6 million in funding, mainly from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. Her research group develops a wide range of nanomaterials, including molecular nanowires for electrochemical sensing, gold nanoparticle carriers for targeted drug delivery in spinal cord injury and cancer therapies, and bioreducible polymer coatings for programmable gene delivery. She has received several awards, including an NSF Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) Award, a Fulbright Senior Scholar Award and a Wayne State University College of Engineering Teaching Award.

Mao is a 2015 graduate of the Executive Leadership in Academic Technology and Engineering (ELATE at Drexel®) Program from the International Center for Executive Leadership in Academics at Drexel University. This yearlong development program is designed to advance senior women faculty in academic engineering, computer science and related fields into effective institutional leadership roles within their schools and universities.

Mao earned a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota and a bachelor's in chemistry from Nanjing University in China. She lives in Bloomfield Hills with her husband and son.

Current chemical engineering and materials department chair Charles Manke, who has served since 2000, will remain at the college as a full-time faculty member. "The department has grown immensely with Chuck at the helm," said Fotouhi. We thank him for his many years of service."