Professor Nie obtained his PhD from Monash University. After two years of postdoc fellowships in The University of Queensland and former CSIRO Division of Materials Technology, he returned to Monash to continue his research career. His research interests include design and development of light alloys including magnesium and aluminium, precipitation and hardening, processing-microstructure-property relationships and applications of advanced electron microscopy techniques. He is editor of Metallurgical and Materials Transactions, and Chair of National Events Committee of Materials Australia. He was awarded ASM International Marcus A Grossmann Young Authors Award in 2006, Monash University Inaugural Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Innovation and Collaboration in Research with Industry in 2008, and TMS AIME Champion H. Mathewson Medal Award in 2015.