Professor Max Lu AO, a globally recognised chemical engineer and advanced materials scientist, became the sixth Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Wollongong (UoW) in May 2025.

Before joining UoW, Professor Lu served as President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Surrey from 2016.  Prior to this, he spent two decades at the University of Queensland, holding senior leadership positions including Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Linkages), Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) and Provost and Senior Vice-President.

In recognition of his contributions to science and education, Professor Lu was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2017 for distinguished service to education, international research and Australia-China relations.

Professor Lu is internationally recognised for his research in nanotechnology and materials science, with more than 600 peer-reviewed publications and 25 international patents, several of which have been licensed or commercialised for energy and environmental applications.  He is a highly cited researcher with an extensive record of international collaboration and industry engagement.