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Ran Tao Receives 2026 Sigma Xi Young Investigator Award
Ran Tao received the Sigma Xi 2026 Young Investigator Award for her innovative research in fluid rheology and thermal analysis, advancing critical solutions in national security, semiconductor packaging, and additive manufacturing.
The 2026 Young Investigator Award honors excellence in research by an early career investigator in science or engineering. Since 1998, the annual Young Investigator Award recognizes excellence in research and includes a certificate of recognition and a $5,000 honorarium. The recipient is invited to present as part of the Young Investigator Lecture typically given during Sigma Xi's annual International Forum on Research Excellence (IFoRE).
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Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society, honored Ran Tao of the NIST Material Measurement Laboratory with the 2026 Young Investigator Award for her innovative research in fluid rheology and thermal analysis, advancing critical solutions in national security, semiconductor packaging, and additive manufacturing (AM) through groundbreaking measurement science and interdisciplinary collaboration. Dr. Tao's research advances measurement science for complex materials, with an emphasis on rheology, thermal analysis, and structure–property relationships in polymers, multifunctional composites, and complex fluids. Her work bridges fundamental materials science with practical measurement needs and addresses key measurement challenges in advanced semiconductor packaging, additive manufacturing, and safety and security. Dr. Tao will present her research at Sigma Xi's annual International Forum on Research Excellence (IFoRE), held virtually from November 6-7, 2026.