Huajian Gao has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering. The academy announced the election of Gao and 65 other new members on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012, for outstanding contributions to engineering in research, practice, or advances in the field. Gao was recognized for his contributions to micromechanics of thin films and hierarchically structured materials, according to a statement from the NAE. Gao is the Walter H. Annenberg professor in the School of Engineering. His current research interests are focused on nanomechanics of engineering and biological systems, including mechanical properties and behaviors of bone, gecko, cell, protein, DNA, carbon nanotubes, thin films, and nanocrystalline materials. He is also a fellow in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Institute of Physics. There are 2,254 U.S. members and 206 foreign associates in the NAE.