Texas A&M University’s Hong Liang Takes Reins as STLE President

The Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE)—the technical society serving individuals, companies and organizations that comprise the tribology and lubrication engineering business sector—today announced that Hong Liang, Ph.D., Oscar S. Wyatt Jr. Professor in the J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, will assume the role of 2023-2024 president for a one-year term beginning May 23, 2023.   

Liang will serve as the society's principal executive officer and chair of its board of directors. During her one-year term, she will implement a strategic plan emphasizing technical innovation, education, and global advocacy in tribology and lubrication—promoting tribology’s positive impact across a broad spectrum of applications.  

 “We are thrilled to welcome a recognized academic at the helm of tribology research as our 2023-2024 president,” said Edward P. Salek, CAE, STLE executive director. “Liang’s longstanding dedication to   tribology and notable contributions to the field will not only make a positive impact on STLE but will benefit our members in the years to come.” 

 Liang has participated in STLE since 1989 and served as an STLE Board of Directors member from 2007 to 2013. In 2007, she was appointed STLE Annual Meeting Program Committee chair after serving on the committee for nine years. She is the past chair of STLE’s Awards and Fellows Committees. 

 Joining her on the STLE executive committee for the 2023-2024 term are Vice President Jack McKenna (Sea-Land Chemical Company), Secretary Kevin Delaney (Vanderbilt Chemicals, LLC), Treasurer Steffen Bots, CLS, OMA (LUBESERV), Immediate Past President and Presidential Council Chair Ryan Evans, Ph.D. (The Timken Company), and STLE Executive Director Edward P. Salek. 

 “Tribological advancements are critical to our society’s sustainability, economy, and standard of living,” said Liang. “My goal as STLE president is to recognize the impacts of our society and the contributions of our members while addressing key issues affecting our field, including sustainability, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), diversity, and more.” 

 In her current role at Texas A&M, Liang’s research focuses on tribology’s fundamental and application aspects. Her research group designs advanced tribomaterials and structures and makes them through nanomanufacturing. Liang investigates surface properties and interfacial interactions of those materials in tribological applications, including chemical-mechanical polishing. Her group has published intensively in the tribology community.  

 In 2018-2019, Liang was the assistant director of research partnerships at the Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, Maryland, where she served as a 2018-2019 American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Foundation Swanson Fellow. 

 Her services to the tribology community include being an associate editor of STLE’s peer-reviewed journal Tribology Transactions, current editor of Tribology International, past regional editor (North America) of Surface Topography: Metrology and Properties, and as associate editor of Friction and several other journals. Liang received her doctorate and master’s in materials science and engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology.  

 About the Society of Tribologists & Lubrication Engineers (STLE) 

The Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) is the premier technical society serving the needs of over 13,000 individuals and 250 companies and organizations that comprise the tribology and lubrication engineering business sector. STLE members are employed by the world’s leading corporations, academic institutions, and governmental agencies dealing with science and technology. STLE supports these distinguished technical experts with a variety of professional education and certification programs. STLE is a professional technical society providing robust resources in technical research, education, and professional development delivered through programming, courses, events, and periodicals on topics most important to you: safety, energy usage, maintenance, natural resources, wear, and productivity.  

 Tribological advancements can improve productivity, profitability, sustainability, and safety across several industries, including manufacturing, metalworking, transportation, and power energy. Membership is available to those interested in staying current with the latest technologies, advancing their careers, and making new professional connections worldwide. STLE membership is a low-cost investment with high professional rewards. 

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