At last month’s American Society of Mechanical Engineers Pressure Vessel and Piping conference, Qin Ma, professor of engineering, was officially elected and recognized as a Fellow of the ASME—a distinction held by less than 3% of the society’s global membership.

After about 28 years of continuous involvement with the society, Ma called this a “profound honor, but it is ultimately a testament to the community we have built here at the E.F. Cross School of Engineering. This recognition is deeply tied to the hard work and success of our students.”

This Fellow designation requires significant, impactful contributions to the engineering profession. Ma was recognized for more than 21 years of engineering teaching and advising senior engineering design and research projects at Walla Walla University—alongside decades of his own specialized research.

However, Ma highlights how this designation is strongly tied to the national success of WWU engineering students. Over the years, these students have consistently won first and second place in the prestigious paper and poster competitions at national ASME PVP conferences, under Ma’s direct mentorship.

“Seeing them compete and win against major research universities on a national stage validates our hands-on mentorship model at WWU and shows the elite caliber of our engineering program,” said Ma.

To learn more about engineering at WWU, visit wallawalla.edu/engineering. To find out more about student contributions and success at these conferences, read Competition finalists.

Posted Aug. 26, 2026.