Published February 18, 2025
By : Staff Writer
Hui-Ping Wang is a technical fellow at General Motors, where she inspires researchers and engineers to develop innovative automotive manufacturing systems.
With over 66 inventions to her name, 32 of which have been implemented in production, Wang has made a significant impact in her field. She has also authored 98 peer-reviewed scientific publications.
At General Motors, she has led a team of researchers and manufacturing engineers in transforming the laser welding process.
One of her notable inventions, the spatter-free laser spot welding method, won the R&D 100 Award in 2016 and was first utilized in producing the 2018 Buick Enclave and 2018 Chevrolet Traverse.
This innovation saved GM $24 million and created an opportunity for an $819 million increase in profit.
From 2004 to 2007, Wang led GM's initiatives within the Automotive Composite Consortium Crashworthiness Team.
She has received numerous prestigious awards for her contributions, including GM's highest R&D innovation award in 2007.
Additionally, she has won GM's innovation accolade twice—in 2017 and again in 2019. Wang has also made significant contributions as an associate editor for the Journal of Materials Processing Technology.
Moreover, Wang served as the technical chair for the 2014 Sheet Metal Welding Conference organized by the American Welding Society and has coached the Middle School Science Olympiad.
Dedicated to inspiring the next generation in STEM fields, she has mentored more than 20 university students and serves as a role model.
Wang is also involved in her community, having volunteered as a principal at The American Chinese School of Greater Detroit and served as a director for the Troy High School booster club.Wang grew up in a small town in China. After earning her bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering mechanics from Tsinghua University, she moved to the United States to pursue a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at the University of Iowa.
Wang believes in the importance of pursuing passion: "We cannot choose our country of origin or skin color, but we can choose to pursue our passion for enriching ourselves, making friends, and collaborating with those around us."
Her greatest inspiration comes from seeing her innovations used to create greener and safer vehicles.
