Xi-Cheng Zhang graduated from Peking University in 1982 and received his Ph.D. in physics from Brown University in 1986. Prior to joining UR, he pioneered world-leading research in the field of ultrafast laser-based terahertz technology and optical physics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY, from 1992 to 2012. At RPI, he was the Eric Jonsson Professor of Science; Acting Head at the Department of Physics, Applied Physics & Astronomy; Professor of Electrical, Computer & System; and Founding Director of the Center for THz Research. He is co-founder of Zomega Terahertz Corp. today, he is Parker Givens Chair of Optics at the University of Rochester, where he has been since 2012.

Dr. Zhang received 29 US patents; authored and co-authored 24 books and book chapters, 330 refereed papers; delivered 500 colloquia, seminars, invited conference presentations, and 200 contributed conference talks.

Dr. Zhang is a fellow of AAAS, APS, IEEE, OSA, and SPIE. Dr. Zhang's honors and awards include: Australian Academy of Science Selby Fellow (2017); International Society of Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves Kenneth F. Button Prize (2014); OSA’s William F. Meggers Award (2012); Moscow University Honorable Professor (2012); IEEE Photonics Society William Streifer Scientific Achievement Award (2011); Rensselaer’s William H. Wiley Award (2009); eight Trustee Celebration of Faculty Achievement Awards; the First Heinrich Hertz Lecturer (Germany); International Commission for Optics Traveling Lecturer (2003); and many others.