May. 15, 2026
The University System of Georgia Board of Regents (BOR) honored 19 Georgia Tech faculty and researchers across campus with Regents’ appointments at its April meeting.
Among those recognized is Yong Ding, principal research engineer and electron microscopy core lead at the Materials Characterization Facility (MCF) within the Institute for Matter and Systems (IMS), who was named a Regents’ Researcher.
Ding received his Ph.D. in Physics from Nanjing University. Since joining Georgia Tech in 2003, he has made widespread contributions to interdisciplinary materials research through collaborations with faculty, national laboratories, and industry partners, enabling advanced materials characterization and scientific discovery. His current work focuses on the development and application of advanced transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques, including in-situ TEM, electron tomography, and quantitative spectroscopic analysis. He also leads major instrumentation initiatives, including the acquisition and deployment of the Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra Ultra TEM.
Ding’s work has had a significant impact on nanoscience, catalysis, and energy materials. In addition to his research, he is a dedicated educator and mentor, providing training to dozens of microscopy users annually and teaching courses in electron microscopy and nanomaterials.
The Regents’ Awards are among the University System of Georgia’s highest honors, recognizing sustained excellence, national distinction, and long-term impact by faculty and researchers across the state’s public institutions.
Regents’ distinctions may be granted to outstanding faculty members for a period of three years by the BOR and are awarded only after unanimous recommendation from the president of the recipient’s university, their chief academic officer and dean, and three additional members of the faculty who are named by the university president. Approval by the chancellor and the BOR Committee on Academic Affairs is also required. These distinctions are given to those who make outstanding contributions to their respective institutions.
