Z.L. Wang, Regents’ Professor, Hightower Chair in Materials Science and Engineering, Adjunct Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Electric and Computer Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology is the winner of the prestigious 2014 World Technology Award for Materials. Professor Wang was selected among a group of five finalists in the field of Materials. The award was presented at the conclusion of the 2014 World Technology Summit and Awards, by the World Technology Network (WTN) in association with Fortune and TIME on November 14 at the TIME Conference Center in New York City. 

Professor Wang 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. He is a leading figure in ZnO nanostructure research. His discovery and breakthroughs in developing nanogenerators established the principle and technological road map for harvesting mechanical energy from environmental and biological systems for powering 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 discipline in energy research and future sensor networks. He coined and pioneered the field of piezotronics and piezo-phototronics by introducing piezoelectric potential gated charge transport process in fabricating new electronic and optoelectronic devices. This historical breakthrough by redesigning the CMOS transistor has important applications in smart MEMS/NEMS, nanorobotics, human-electronics interface, and sensors. 
 
He has authored and co-authored 6 scientific reference and textbooks and over 950 peer-reviewed  journal articles (16 in Nature and Science, 8 in Nature sister journals), 45 review papers and book chapters, edited and co-edited 14 volumes of books on nanotechnology, and holds over 100 US and foreign patents. Professor Wang is among the world’s top 5 most-cited authors in nanotechnology.

Wang was not the only researcher with Georgia Tech ties to be honored at the awards. College of Engineering alumnus David Frakes received the World Technology Award for Health & Medicine for his work in vascular flow imaging. Frakes is an associate professor in the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering at Arizona State University, and he holds four degrees from Georgia Tech: a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering ('98), master's degrees in both electrical engineering ('02) and mechanical engineering ('02), and a Ph.D. in bioengineering ('03).

The WTN is a curated membership community comprised of the world’s most innovative individuals and organizations in science, technology, and related fields. The WTN and its members – those creating the 21st century – are focused on exploring what is imminent, possible, and important around emerging technologies. 
 
The World Technology Awards are presented in 20 categories for “innovative work of the greatest likely long-term significance” to humanity. Award winners are nominated and selected by a peer-reviewed process.