Author: Zee Zhai

Mr. Brandon Wang, Vice President Synopsys

Dr. Xiaodong Che, Chief Technology Officer, Western Digital

Dr. Sam HEIDARI

The Asian American Engineer of the Year Award (AAEOY) Executive Committee announces the AAEOY 2025-2026 awardees as follows:

Engineer of the Year Award

Most Promising Engineer of the Year Award

Dr. Jungwon Lee, EVP at Samsung Electronics, Executive of the Year Award

The organizing committee of the 2026 Asian American Executive of the Year (AAEOY) Award and Conference is pleased to announce that Dr. Jungwon Lee, Executive Vice President at Samsung Electronics, will receive the Executive of the Year Award at the 2026 AAEOY.

Dr. Lee exemplifies outstanding executive leadership, technical excellence, and a deep commitment to advancing innovation at one of the world’s most influential technology companies. As EVP at Samsung Electronics, he has played a pivotal role in driving strategic growth initiatives, strengthening global competitiveness, and fostering breakthrough developments in semiconductor technology and advanced electronics.

Throughout his career, Dr. Lee has demonstrated a rare combination of visionary thinking and operational execution. He has consistently guided large-scale engineering organizations to deliver high-impact results, while also championing collaboration across global teams. His leadership has contributed significantly to Samsung’s continued advancement in next-generation technologies that power the global digital economy.

Beyond his corporate achievements, Dr. Lee is widely respected for his dedication to mentoring the next generation of engineers and leaders. He actively supports initiatives that promote STEM education, cross-border collaboration, and professional development within the engineering community. His influence extends well beyond Samsung, shaping industry standards and inspiring innovation across the broader technology ecosystem.

The organizing committee of the 2026 Asian American Executive of the Year (AAEOY) Award and Conference is pleased to announce that Dr. Liu Ren, will receive the Executive of the Year Award at the 2026 AAEOY for his visionary leadership in industrial AI research for mobility and manufacturing driving award-winning innovations into new products and services with transformative business impact.

Dr. Liu Ren is the Vice President and Chief Scientist for AI at the Bosch Center for Artificial Intelligence (BCAI), based at Bosch Research North America’s Silicon Valley location. He leads Bosch Research’s largest global strategic project portfolio, which focuses on core AI for Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS). Dr. Ren also co-leads Bosch’s cross-divisional automated driving team, uniting experts from Bosch Research and the ADAS Product Division worldwide to accelerate the AI-driven transformation of Bosch’s next-generation products.

As Chief Scientist on the Bosch Research AI Board, Dr. Ren’s leadership has been instrumental in bridging the gap between foundational research and commercial application. He has guided global research teams to develop core AI innovations that solve key challenges in Bosch’s industrial domains, including automated driving, smart manufacturing, car infotainment, and consumer appliances.  He has led the team to deliver a transformative business impact for Bosch and earn several prestigious industry awards, both within and outside the company.

Dr. Ren has significantly advanced the academic landscape with over 70 publications in top-tier AI and computer science venues, a body of work recognized with several best paper and honorable mention awards. His contributions are further strengthened by an extensive portfolio of over 70 Bosch patents.

Dr. Ren holds M.Sc. (2004) and Ph.D. (2006) degrees in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University. He also earned a B.Sc. in Computer Science from Zhejiang University, China, where he was a member of the “mixed class,” an elite college program.

Celebrating Excellence in Engineering: The AAEOY Awards Announce 2025-2026 Honorees

SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 1, 2026 — The Asian American Engineer of the Year Award (AAEOY) Executive Committee announces the AAEOY 2025-2026 first phase awardees as follows:

Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award

• Mr. Lip-Bu Tan, CEO, Intel Corporation

Distinguished Leadership in Science and Technology Award

• Dr. Arun Majumdar, Dean of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University

Executive of the Year Award

• Dr. Xiaodong Che, Chief Technology Officer, Western Digital
• Dr. Sam Heidari, CEO, Lumotive
• Dr. Jungwon Lee, Corporate Executive Vice President, Samsung Electronics
• Dr. Liu Ren, Vice President & Chief Scientist, Bosch Research
• Mr. Brandon Wang, Vice President, Synopsys

Engineer of the Year Award

• Ms. Vivian Ye, Principal Member of Technical Staff, AT&T

Most Promising Engineer of the Year Award

• Mr. Max Fang, Director of Architecture, Ambarella
• Mr. Johnny Ho, CSO & Co-founder, Perplexity AI

The AAEOY Award has been presented annually since 2002 as a cornerstone of the National Engineers Week program, honoring distinguished Asian American professionals across academia, public service, and industry. Since its inception, the AAEOY has recognized over 300 honorees — including nine Nobel Laureates, pioneering scholars, prominent corporate executives, and an astronaut — serving as a beacon of inspiration for the global STEM community. After a series of impactful ceremonies nationwide, the 2025-2026 AAEOY Award and Conference returns to the heart of innovation in Silicon Valley at the Santa Clara Convention Center on September 18-19, 2026.

For more information regarding the AAEOY program, awardees, and event registration, please visit www.aaeoy.org.

The Chinese Institute of Engineers in USA (CIE-USA), founded in 1917, is a nonprofit professional organization that promotes science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); supports professional advancement and leadership development; and recognizes the achievements of Asian American professionals through flagship programs such as the Asian American Engineer of the Year (AAEOY) Awards. One of the oldest and most prestigious Chinese American engineering associations in the United States, CIE-USA has seven regional chapters nationwide and hosts events throughout the year.

SOURCE AAEOY

Mr. Lip-Bu Tan, Intel CEO, Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award

We are honored to announce that Lip-Bu Tan, Chief Executive Officer of Intel Corporation, has been selected as the recipient of the Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award at the Asian American Engineer of the Year (AAEOY).

Mr. Tan is a globally recognized technology leader and visionary in the semiconductor industry. As CEO of Intel since 2025, he is leading the transformation of one of the world’s most iconic technology companies. Over his distinguished career, including his leadership at Cadence Design Systems and decades of venture investment, he has played a pivotal role in advancing innovation, entrepreneurship, and the global semiconductor ecosystem.

This award recognizes his lifelong contributions to engineering, technology leadership, and his lasting impact on the industry.

Bio:
Lip-Bu Tan is chief executive officer of Intel Corporation and serves on the company’s board of directors. He was appointed to his position in March 2025.

Tan is an accomplished executive with more than two decades of semiconductor and software experience and deep relationships across the technology ecosystem. He has received several accolades for his significant contributions to the industry, including the 2022 Robert N. Noyce Award, the Semiconductor Industry Association’s highest honor, and was named one of Forbes’ Top 50 Venture Capitalists.

Tan previously served as chief executive officer of Cadence Design Systems Inc. and was also a member of its board of directors. During his 12 years as Cadence’s chief executive officer, he led a reinvention of the company and drove a cultural transformation centered on customer-centric innovation that enabled Cadence to more than double its revenue, expand operating margins and significantly outperform the market.

Dr. Arun Majumdar, Dean of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, Distinguished Leadership in Science and Technology Award at 2026 AAEOY Conference

The organizing committee of the 2026 Asian American Executive of the Year (AAEOY) Award and Conference is pleased to announce Dr. Arun Majumdar, the inaugural Dean of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, will receive the Distinguished Leadership in Science and Technology Award at the 2026 AAEOY.

Dr. Majumdar is a globally recognized leader in energy science, technology innovation, and sustainable systems. As the founding Dean of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, he has played a transformative role in shaping one of the most ambitious academic efforts to address climate change and sustainability at scale. His leadership bridges fundamental science, engineering innovation, and real-world impact, advancing solutions that are critical to the future of our planet.

Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Majumdar has made pioneering contributions to energy efficiency, clean energy technologies, and systems-level thinking in addressing complex global challenges. His work has influenced both academia and industry, and he has held key leadership roles that have helped guide national and global energy policy and research priorities.

Bio:

Dr. Arun Majumdar is the inaugural Dean of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. He is the Jay Precourt Provostial Chair Professor at Stanford University, a faculty member of the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Energy Science and Engineering, a Senior Fellow and former Director of the Precourt Institute for Energy and Senior Fellow (courtesy) of the Hoover Institution. He is also a faculty in Department of Photon Science at SLAC.

In October 2009, Dr. Majumdar was nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the Senate to become the Founding Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E), where he served until June 2012 and helped ARPA-E become a model of excellence and innovation for the government with bipartisan support from Congress and other stakeholders. Between March 2011 and June 2012, he also served as the Acting Under Secretary of Energy, enabling the portfolio of Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of Electricity Delivery and Reliability, Office of Nuclear Energy and the Office of Fossil Energy, as well as multiple cross-cutting efforts such as Sunshot, Grid Modernization Team and others that he had initiated. Furthermore, he was a Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Energy, Dr. Steven Chu, on a variety of matters related to management, personnel, budget, and policy. In 2010, he served on Secretary Chu’s Science Team to help stop the leak of the Deep Water Horizon (BP) oil spill.