In 2022, the selection results of the Rocha Medal for the Next Year of the International Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering were announced. Zhao Jun, a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute of Deep Engineering and Intelligent Technology of NEU was awarded the Rocha Medal for 2023. This is the second time after 15 years that a doctoral thesis in the field of rock mechanics in China won this award, which is a historic breakthrough for our university in this award and reflects our leading role in the internationalization of postgraduate training in the field of rock mechanics and engineering.
Jun Zhao received his doctoral degree from NEU in May 2021 under the supervision of Academician Feng Xiating, and he joined NEU as a postdoctoral fellow in the same year, mainly conducting researches on the prediction and prevention and control technology of time-effective disasters in deep hard rock engineering. He was selected in the Postdoctoral Innovation Talent Support Program in 2021 and awarded as Shenyang Leading Talent in 2022. He was awarded the Special Prize of Scientific and Technological Inventions of Chinese Society for Rock Mechanics and Engineering (ranked 2), the Excellent Doctoral Thesis Award of Chinese Society for Rock Mechanics and Engineering, and the First Prize of the Teaching Achievement Award of Liaoning Province General Higher Education (Undergraduate). He has presided over 7 projects, including China Postdoctoral Innovation Talent Program, sub-projects of National Key Research and Development Program, National Natural Science Youth Fund, State Key Laboratory Open Fund, and China Postdoctoral General Fund, etc. (the accumulated vertical research funds of which exceeds 10 million). He has published 14 high-level papers, participated in the compilation of 1 group standard, authorized 2 international invention patents and more than 10 national invention patents, and completed 1 S&T achievements transformation.
It is reported that the Rocha Medal was established in 1982 by the International Society for Rock Mechanics and Engineering to commemorate the outstanding contributions made by the late M. Rocha, former President of the International Society for Rock Mechanics and Engineering, to inspire young scholars in the field of rock mechanics. The Rocha Medal is the highest award given by the International Society for Rock Mechanics and Engineering to the author of an outstanding doctoral thesis on rock mechanics and engineering topics. Only one winner is selected each year around the world.
Link to award notice of the International Society for Rock Mechanics and Engineering Rocha Medal: https://isrm.net/newsletter/show/236
