2025-2026 Asian American Engineer of the Year Awardees Announced at Conference

Celebrating Excellence in Engineering: The AAEOY Awards Announce 2025-2026 Honorees

The Asian American Engineer of the Year Award (AAEOY) is proud to announce its first phase award winners for the upcoming 2025-2026 cycle. Held annually since 2002, this prestigious ceremony aims to honor the outstanding contributions of Asian American professionals across the fields of academia, public service, and industry. The AAEOY awards have become synonymous with inspiration within the STEM community, showcasing the remarkable achievements and leadership of these individuals.

This year's distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award is conferred upon Mr. Lip-Bu Tan, the CEO of Intel Corporation, whose visionary leadership has directed significant advancements in technology. Dr. Arun Majumdar, the Dean of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability at Stanford University, receives the Distinguished Leadership in Science and Technology Award for his contributions in fostering innovative scientific endeavors.

The award for Executive of the Year goes to several accomplished leaders in technology, including:

- Dr. Xiaodong Che, Chief Technology Officer at Western Digital
- Dr. Sam Heidari, CEO of Lumotive
- Dr. Jungwon Lee, Corporate Executive Vice President at Samsung Electronics
- Dr. Liu Ren, Vice President and Chief Scientist at Bosch Research
- Mr. Brandon Wang, Vice President at Synopsys

Additionally, the title of Engineer of the Year is awarded to Ms. Vivian Ye, Principal Member of Technical Staff at AT&T, recognizing her significant technical contributions in the field.

The Most Promising Engineer of the Year title celebrates promising young talent, with this year’s recipients being Mr. Max Fang, Director of Architecture at Ambarella, and Mr. Johnny Ho, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Perplexity AI.

Since its inception, AAEOY has celebrated over 300 notable figures, including nine Nobel Laureates, pioneering scholars, and even an astronaut. The award ceremony not only recognizes individual excellence but also serves as a beacon of hope and achievement for the Asian American engineering community around the world.

As part of National Engineers Week, this year’s AAEOY Award and Conference will be held at the Santa Clara Convention Center, a site aptly situated in Silicon Valley, the heart of technological innovation, on September 18-19, 2026. This event is expected to draw an array of distinguished professionals and aspiring engineers alike, creating spaces for collaboration, networking, and inspiration.

For those interested in attending the AAEOY conference or learning more about the awardees and the program, additional details can be found at www.aaeoy.org.

The Chinese Institute of Engineers in the USA (CIE-USA), established in 1917, is a proud nonprofit organization that champions the principles of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Its aim is to support the professional growth and development of Asian American engineers and to applaud their achievements through initiatives like the AAEOY Awards. As one of the oldest and most venerable organizations for Chinese American engineers, CIE-USA continues to foster a thriving environment for STEM professionals across the nation.

This year’s prestigious awards ceremony once again promises to shine a spotlight on the powerful contributions made by Asian American engineers, affirming their pivotal roles in shaping the future of technology and engineering industries.

Join the AAEOY in celebrating these exceptional individuals as they pave the way for the next generation of innovators.