Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering alumnus Po-Yen Lu (PhD 82) has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) as an international member for “leadership and innovation in the mass production of liquid-crystal displays and semiconductors for high-bandwidth data transmission.” Lu is one of 128 new members and 22 international members elected to the Class of 2025, announced today by NAE President and fellow ChBE alumnus John L. Anderson (MS 69, PhD 79).
Election to the National Academy of Engineering is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to engineering research, practice or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature, and to the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.
Lu received his Ph.D. in 1982 under the guidance of Professor Emeritus Richard C. Alkire. He began his career at Bell Laboratories, and later became instrumental in establishing the LCD industry in Taiwan. He was the initiator of the LCD project at Acer Display, which later merged to become AUO Corp. He assumed the position of Executive Vice President, during which he managed the operations and R&D of AUO, a $10 billion company. Lu made significant contributions to AUO’s growth during his tenure – contributions that were recognized not only by colleagues in the technology sector, but also by the government. In 2003, Lu received the Outstanding Contribution Award from Taiwan’s Ministry of Economy.
In 2010, Lu became Chairman of a small company in Taiwan. Under his leadership, the company developed into a prominent compound semiconductor Epi house and became a “unicorn” company during its Initial Public Offering in 2015. Lu is currently a Partner at a venture capital company where he continues to apply his technical background and management experience to support his portfolio companies.
Lu received the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from ChBE Illinois in 2023.