Meet the editor

Dr. Guodong (David) Zhan is currently a science specialist and team leader in the Drilling Technology Division, EXPEC Advanced Research Center, Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia. Dr. Zhan is a world-renowned materials scientist and drilling bit expert with an outstanding track record of advanced technologies from invention through to full commercialization. With his more than 30 years of experience in industrial R&D and man-

agerial positions, Dr. Zhan's influence spans academia and industry, from internationally renowned universities and laboratories such as the University of California at Davis, USA, and Japan National Institute for Materials Science to global Fortune 500 companies such as Schlumberger and Applied Materials. Dr. Zhan has received several prestigious academic and industrial awards such as the World Oil Award, World IoT Award, and OTC Distinguished Achievement Special Citation Award. He serves as an international conference section chairman and technical committee member in professional societies like SPE and is a board member and reviewer of several scientific journals. Dr. Zhan has published more than 200 technical publications and holds more than 150 filed/granted US patents. Further, Dr. Zhan's research on the frontiers of nano-ceramic (composite) materials, ceramic superplasticity, high-pressure and high-temperature superhard materials, and atomic layer precipitation particle nanocoating is internationally influential and exhibits his extraordinary academic and industry achievements.
