Two University of Michigan physicists and one engineer were elected as fellows of the American Physical Society, an honor that recognizes excellence in physics and exceptional service to the physics community.

Each year, no more than one-half of 1% of the society’s membership, excluding student members, earn this recognition from their peers. This year, APS selected 151 fellows for recognition of their contributions to physics research, important applications of physics, significant contributions to physics education, or leadership in or service to APS.

Karthik Duraisamy, professor of aerospace engineering, was elected for “pioneering contributions and intellectual leadership in the development and application of machine learning methods to complex engineering flows.”

An internationally recognized leader in computational science and engineering, Duraisamy has advanced both the mathematics of modeling as well as the practice of computations. He works to integrate physics-inspired modeling, data-driven approaches, numerical methods and statistical learning toward the end of predictive modeling of complex fluid and multiphysics systems. Duraisamy also serves as the Samir and Puja Kaul Director of the Michigan Institute for Computational Discovery and Engineering, or MICDE.

“It is a great honor to be recognized by APS as a fellow, but it is an outcome of the work of my exceptional students,” Duraisamy said.

Xiaoming Mao, professor of physics, was elected for her “fundamental contributions in understanding marginal stability, disorder, fluctuations, and self-assembly in complex soft matter, as well as fundamental theories and experimental realizations of topological mechanical metamaterials.”

Mao explores how order and functionality emerge in complex materials. Among other accomplishments, she has helped pioneer the field of topological mechanics, investigated self-assembling behavior of nanoparticles and explored adaptive and learning materials that can respond intelligently to their environment. Her research reveals how geometry and topology—normally the language of mathematics—govern stability, motion and self-organization in matter. Her efforts aim to establish the scientific foundations for a new generation of materials that can assemble, evolve and learn on their own.

“We are living in a transformative time for science—where discoveries emerge faster than ever, artificial intelligence is reshaping how we learn, and the social landscape of scientific research is rapidly evolving,” Mao said. “Earning this recognition reminds me of the responsibility we share to guide and inspire the next generation of scientists as they navigate this changing world.”

Liuyan Zhao, associate professor of physics, was elected for “outstanding experimental contributions in detecting multipolar orders with nonlinear optics and designing two-dimensional magnetic multipolar phases with twisted moiré magnets.”

Zhao investigates quantum materials, particularly how they behave when their electrons interact strongly. By carefully selecting material systems, she and her team seek to uncover the fundamental physical laws that govern emergent phenomena in these systems and, ultimately, design new materials with desired functionalities. To achieve these goals, her group has developed advanced techniques to uncover otherwise “hidden” states in materials, fabricated artificial nanostructures with exotic phases, and expanded the accessible phase space by exploring the crossover between three and two dimensions.

“I am deeply honored to be recognized as an APS Fellow for my contributions to quantum materials research,” Zhao said. “This recognition reflects the collective efforts of my group members and collaborators. Together, we have undertaken a rewarding journey to uncover long-standing puzzles and reveal new phenomena in the rich landscape of complex magnetic materials.”