Honorary Dean Jun Ni of the UM-SJTU Joint Institute received the 2015 Stephen S. Attwood Award at the University of Michigan on March 7, 2015. It is the highest engineering award given by the University of Michigan. Every year one senior faculty member is recognized for his/her outstanding achievements in teaching, research, and service at the University of Michigan.
Honorary Dean Ni (right) receiving Stephen S. Attwood Award from UM Engineering School
Honorary Dean Ni is currently a professor in the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering as well as the director of S. M. Wu Manufacturing Research Center at the University of Michigan. He is internationally reputable in the field of advanced manufacturing, serving as the Deputy Director of National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems and Co-director of the National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Intelligent Maintenance Systems (IMS). Dean Ni has led 115 important research projects sponsored by the Big Three auto manufacturers, Boeing, US Air Force, and the National Science Foundation, published more than 400 papers, supervised 83 Ph.D. graduates and 58 master graduates, and won more than 40 academic achievement awards. In January 2014, Dean Ni received People’s Republic of China International Science and Technology Cooperation Award, Chinese government’s highest award for international experts in science and technology.
At the helm of the Joint Institute from 2006 to 2014, Dean Ni had introduced the education system, management structure, research collaboration, and training model from American universities and had been committed to exploring innovative approaches to higher education reform. As a founding dean, he always insists on cultivating global innovative leaders on China’s soil by combining the best features of Sino-US educational philosophy and systems. Even after serving his 8-year tenure at JI, Ni continues to make efforts for JI’s development through various ways and is currently serving as the Honorary Dean of the Joint Institute.
