Materials scientist Pei Qibing has been appointed as a chair professor and director of the Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering at the University of Macau. This transition follows a distinguished thirty-year career in the United States. Pei previously served as an emeritus professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. His academic journey is marked by a significant trajectory, beginning at a small rural school on an island in the Yangtze River. He eventually moved from rural China to California to pursue his professional development. Now, he brings his extensive international expertise back to the region. His new leadership role in Macau focuses on applied physics and materials engineering.