The annual NANOSMAT Prize recognizes, substantiates, and honors high caliber scientists for their professional leadership, originality, and innovations in research and development relating to nanoscience and nanotechnology with a particular focus on nanomaterials.  Wang was awarded the prize based on his breakthrough and inspirational research in the field of nano-piezo and nano-ferroelectric materials. 

Wang is the Hightower Chair in Materials Science and Engineering, Regents' Professor, Engineering Distinguished Professor and Director, Center for Nanostructure Characterization, at Georgia Tech. He has made original and innovative contributions to the synthesis, discovery, characterization and understanding of fundamental physical properties of oxide nanobelts and nanowires, as well as applications of nanowires in energy sciences, electronics, optoelectronics and biological science. Wang is the leader figure in ZnO nanostructure research. His discovery and breakthroughs in developing nanogenerators establish the principle and technological road map for harvesting mechanical energy from environment and biological systems for powering a personal electronics. His research on self-powered nanosystems has inspired the worldwide effort in academia and industry for studying energy for micro-nano-systems, which is now a distinct disciplinary in energy research and future sensor networks.

Wang is a pioneer and world leader in nanoscience and nanotechnology for his outstanding creativity and productivity. He has authored and co-authored six scientific reference and textbooks and more than 900 peer reviewed journal articles (15 in Nature and Science, 7 in Nature sister journals), 45 review papers and book chapters, edited and co-edited 14 volumes of books on nanotechnology, and held over 100 U.S. and foreign patents. Wang is the world’s top five most cited authors in nanotechnology.

The award will be presented at the 9th NANOSMAT conference at Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland in September.