Min Zou

Min Zou is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Arkansas, affiliated with the College of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, and the Institute for Nanoscience and Engineering. She holds a Distinguished Professor title and has been named a National Academy of Inventors Fellow in 2024. Her research focuses on nano-engineered materials, surface coatings, tribological systems, and biomedical applications. Notable innovations include low-friction coatings for machinery, anti-reflective solar panel coatings, and 3D-printed orthopedic solutions.

Zou has secured $30 million in research funding as PI, with over 144 peer-reviewed publications. Her work spans surface engineering for renewable energy (e.g., polysilicon grain advancements), biomedical devices (knee meniscus 3D printing), and cross-modal sensory studies. She leads interdisciplinary collaborations through the Institute for Integrative & Innovative Research (I³R), exploring bio-implant interactions and entrepreneurial training for students.

Awards include fellowships from the Society of Tribologists, ASME, and AIMBE. Her lab emphasizes translational research, commercialization via Technology Ventures, and student entrepreneurship programs like NSF I-Corps. Key labs/teams: Institute for Nanoscience and Engineering, I³R, and collaborations with University of Arkansas’ Engineering and Chemistry departments.