School of Engineering Welcomes Xiaopeng Zhao as Chair of Mechanical Engineering

In his role, he leads the department's strategic planning and academic operations, with a focus on advancing research, enhancing education, and strengthening industry and community engagement.

Dr. Zhao is committed to building faculty capacity in emerging areas such as AI, robotics, and advanced manufacturing while preparing students for the technological challenges of the future.

"My vision is to build on the Department of Mechanical Engineering’s strong foundation while positioning it at the forefront of innovation,” Zhao said. “I am committed to fostering a collaborative culture that prepares our students for the next generation of technological challenges. We will build faculty expertise in critical areas like AI, robotics, and advanced manufacturing while expanding our research portfolio and national visibility."

Before joining the University of Mississippi in 2025, Dr. Zhao was a professor in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

From 2024 to 2025 he served as a Congressional Science and Technology Policy Fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science, where he was selected for the Rapid Response Cohort in Artificial Intelligence to provide guidance to policymakers.

He also served as the founding director of the Applied AI Program at the University of Tennessee.

An interdisciplinary researcher, Zhao’s work spans healthcare robotics, AI in medicine, neuroimaging, and biomedical modeling. His honors include an NSF CAREER Award and recognition by NIH News in Health for AI-powered social robots supporting dementia care. He has authored more than 170 peer-reviewed publications with wide citation and impact.

“At Ole Miss, our focus is to advance the engineering fundamentals that matter to Mississippi and the region,” Zhao said. “We will grow competitive research, strengthen hands-on education with modern and emerging technologies, and build partnerships that translate ideas into real impact.”

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