Chair Professor

Fellow, the Canadian Academy of Engineering and National-Level Talent

Organization:
College of Engineering
School of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics

Post:
Vice Provost and Director of Academic Affairs

Email:
ztan@eitech.edu.cn

Research:
Dr. Tan’s contribution to chemical engineering and clean energy has been recognized by international peers, as evidenced by the popularity of his technical books in his fields of research.

BIOGRAPHY · PUBLICATIONS

Biography

Background Information

Dr. TAN, Zhongchao received his BSc and MSc degrees from Tsinghua University, Beijing in the 1990s, and his PhD degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA in 2004.

He was a Professor at the University of Waterloo, the founding Executive Director of the Tsinghua-Waterloo Joint Research Centre for Energy and Environmental Technologies, and the Associate Dean (International) of Waterloo Engineering.

In addition, Tan has provided dedicated services to several international professional societies, including the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering, Canadian Society of Chemical Engineering, International Association for Green Energy, and Standards Council of Canada/ISO.

Research Field

Dr. Tan’s contribution to chemical engineering and clean energy has been recognized by international peers, as evidenced by the popularity of his technical books in his fields of research.

His single-authored textbook, Air Pollution and Greenhouse Gases, was downloaded more than 1.7 million times globally. Another coauthored textbook was recognized as one of “the top-used publications on SpringerLink that concern one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals”.

His impact on his peer groups and the wider society is also evidenced by numerous domestic and international awards and distinctions, including:

• Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.
• Fellow of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering.
• Outstanding Performance Award, University of Waterloo.
• Early Research Excellence Award, University of Calgary.
• Editor’s Choice papers.
• Highly Cited Paper recognition, top 1%, from Clarivate Analytics.
• Distinguished Visiting Professorship at Tsinghua University.

Tan’s dedication to higher education also won him multiple teaching awards, including those from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Calgary.

Educational Background

• 2004 — PhD in Agricultural Engineering
  University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA.

• 1999 — MSc in Thermal Engineering
  Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.

• 1996 — BSc in Thermal Engineering
  Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.

Work Experience

• 2022–2024 — Distinguished Visiting Professor
  Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University.

• 2017 — Senior Visiting Professor
  Department of Thermal Engineering, now the Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University.

• July 2015–August 2023 — Professor
  Department of Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo.

• September 2010–June 2015 — Associate Professor, tenured position
  Department of Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo.

• April 2009–August 2010 — Associate Professor, tenured position
  Department of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, appointed through the Centre for Environmental Engineering Research & Education, University of Calgary.

• July 2004–March 2009 — Assistant Professor, tenure-track position
  Department of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, appointed through the Centre for Environmental Engineering Research and Education, University of Calgary.

Selected Academic Service

• 2021–Present
  Member of the Board of Directors and Member of the Nominating Committee, International Association for Green Energy (IAGE).

• 2017–Present
  Member at Large, Executive Committee of the Division of Energy.

• 2018–2019
  Chair of the Division of Energy, CIC, Canadian Society of Chemical Engineering (CSChE).

• 2022–September 2023
  Chair, ISO/TC 142, representing Canada on ISO standard voting, Standards Council of Canada (SCC).

• 2021–2022
  Vice Chair, ISO/TC 142.

• 2018–2021
  Member of the Board of Directors, Member, and Member of the Chapter Affairs Committee, American Filtration and Separation Society (AFS).

• 2022–Present
  Member of the Editorial Board, International Journal of Green Energy.

• 2012–Present
  Associate Editor, Sustainable Environment Research.

• 2017–Present
  Associate Editor, Nanotechnology for Environmental Engineering.

Awards and Honors

• 2022
  Elected Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (FCAE).

• 2022
  Elected Fellow of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering (FCSME).

• 2022–2024
  Distinguished Visiting Professorship, honorary appointment, Tsinghua University.

• 2021
  University of Waterloo Outstanding Performance Award.

Publications

A detailed publication list will be added to this page.