Lexington, KY— On April 20, 2023, Dr. Jack Cheng, joined by five other alumni of University of Kentucky, was inducted into College of Engineering’s Hall of Distinction Class of 2023. The induction ceremony was held at the Carrick House in Lexington, Kentucky and followed by a reception attended by over 200 guests. Each inductee was also honored with a plaque displayed on the Atrium walls of the Ralph G. Anderson Mechanical Engineering Building.

Initiated in 1992, the Hall of Distinction recognizes and honors UK College of Engineering alumni for exemplary professional accomplishments, outstanding character and an ongoing commitment to community service. In over 130-years of the College’s history, only 169 alumni, less than 1% of the group, have received this distinctive honor. Cheng is the first Chinese American inductee.

Xiangming “Jack” Cheng (Ph.D. in MSE, 2000) is an entrepreneur and leader in metal manufacturing and distribution. Originally from China, Cheng earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in metallurgy and materials science before coming to the United States to earn a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from UK. After working as a researcher and earning an MBA, Cheng founded AA Metals in 2003 with $600 savings. The company has since grown into a global leader in metal manufacturing and distribution with over 500 employees, $1.2 billion in revenue, and provides 500 million pounds of aluminum and steel per year to its customers around the world. In 2019, Cheng received the Ernst & Young (EY) Entrepreneur of The Year® Award in Florida and became a National Finalist for EY Entrepreneur of The Year® National Award. He was named the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 2022. Cheng has been a generous supporter of the UK College of Engineering, where he serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council and has given a $1 million gift towards the modernization of the research and teaching spaces in the College of Engineering Funkhouser Building. His gift was presented as a matching gift on “One Day for UK”, which inspired gifts from the UK community and from team members at AA Metals in Florida, Pennsylvania, Turkey, Colombia and China. Cheng is also an avid supporter for the American Cancer Society’s “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” campaign and the Chinese American communities in Orlando, Florida.

Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, AA Metals is a rapidly expanding global manufacturer and master distributor in the metal industry. With multiple aluminum manufacturing and steel processing facilities in the United States, Turkey and Colombia, as well as operation centers in China and Germany, AA Metals has established itself as an industry leader.

For more information about Dr. Jack Cheng and AA Metals Inc. please visit aametals.com and https://www.linkedin.com/company/aa-metals-inc.