Prof Jidong Zhao Receives Chandrakant S. Desai Medal for Excellence in Geomechanics
We are pleased to announce that Prof. Jidong Zhao has been awarded the prestigious 2025 Chandrakant S. Desai Excellence Medal by the International Association for Computer Methods and Advances in Geomechanics (IACMAG). He received the medal from IACMAG President Professor John P. Carter on 19 December 2025, during the 2025 IACMAG Conference hosted at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
The IACMAG, established in 1988, promotes interdisciplinary research in geomechanics, bridging civil, mechanical, hydraulic, geological, and materials engineering, as well as geophysics. The association emphasizes the development and application of advanced computational methods to both fundamental science and practical engineering challenges. In particular, the Chandrakant S. Desai Excellence Medal, awarded every three to four years at the IACMAG Conference, commemorates the late Professor C. S. Desai, founding president of IACMAG and a pioneering figure in geotechnical engineering. The medal honors individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions in research and education, especially in constitutive modeling, computer methods, and innovative applications in geomechanics. Prof. Zhao is only the second Hong Kong-based scholar to receive the medal, a true testament to his sustained and outstanding contributions to the field of computational geomechanics.
The Department extends its warmest congratulations to Prof. Zhao on this well-deserved honor, and joins the IACMAG in commending his leadership as well as impactful scholarship in advancing computational geomechanics worldwide.
