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Founded over a century ago by renowned engineers such as Jeme Tien Yow and Mao Yisheng, the Chinese Institute of Engineers-USA (CIE-USA) now has seven chapters across the United States. On September 7, the Seattle Chapter of CIE hosted its annual Convention and Asian American Luminary Awards Ceremony  at the Hilton Bellevue, setting a new record in scale. The event not only showcased cutting-edge achievements in engineering and technology but also highlighted the cohesion and legacy of the Chinese tech community.

As the most prestigious organization of Chinese engineers in the U.S., CIE’s mission is to foster exchange, promote professional growth, and advance leadership. “CIE provides a platform for leading technology experts to connect, while helping participants gain knowledge they can bring back and apply in their work and research to drive further growth,” said CIE-USA NC Chair Xinfen Chen.

This year’s conference drew an unprecedented turnout, with registrations exceeding 1,000. The program featured 12 sub-forums and seminars,and nearly 90 speakers, setting new records in both scale and impact. Chengliang Zhang, Co-President of the CIE-SEA, highlighted that the event’s overwhelming popularity prompted organizers to open additional rooms, ensuring that the enthusiastic audience could be fully accommodated.

At the 2025 CIE-SEA annual Convention (Photo by Austin He)

As a major U.S. tech hub, Seattle is home to the headquarters and R&D centers of industry giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence. Sophia Li, CIE-SEA board member and annual convention chair, emphasized that the chapter hopes to leverage CIE as a platform to bring together Chinese tech talent and build a stronger collective force.

From left to right: Daniel Ma, Board Member of the CIE-SEA; Sophia Li, Board Member and Annual Convention Chair of the CIE-SEA; Chengliang Zhang, Co-President of the CIE-SEA (Photo by Xuantong Wu)

For the first time, this year’s conference highlighted “serving the community” as a priority, actively engaging local Chinese-owned businesses to create a platform that combines professional exchange with community interaction. Daniel Ma, board member of the CIE-SEA, said sponsorship reached a record level this year, with more than ten local Chinese enterprises participating across technology, real estate, law, and other sectors. “This conference has become a platform of value not only for professionals but also for small businesses, startups, and the wider community,” he added.

Sponsor: VIP Family Medicine Clinic (Photo by Austin He)
Sponsor: Lani Cao Law Office (Photo by Austin He)
Performer Liliana Li singing the Chinese song “Light Years Away” (Photo by Xuantong Wu)
From left to right:  Dr. James Lee (President, SVision LLC, CIE-USA Seattle Advisor​) 、Fei Cai (CIE Board Member)、Dong Yu (Recipient of the 2025 CIE-SEA Asian American Luminary Awards, Distinguished Scientist and Vice General Manager at Tencent AI Lab、Xuedong Huang (Chief Technology Officer(CTO) at ZOOM)
(Photo by Xuantong Wu)
From left to right: Dr. James Lee (President of SVision LLC, CIE-USA Seattle Advisor​) 、Fei Cai (CIE Board Member)、Dr. Luyuan Fang (Recipient of the 2025 CIE-SEA Asian American Luminary Awards, CEO and Founder of Curative AI, Inc.)、Dr. Robert Zhu (Engineering Manager, Digital Industries – CTO Office at Siemens)
(Photo by Xuantong Wu)

The Asian American Luminary Awards Ceremony in the evening featured keynote speeches, cultural performances, and award presentations, recognizing outstanding Chinese individuals in science, academia, biotechnology, and community leadership. Scholarships were also awarded to encourage young students to pursue truth and explore science. CIE-USA NC Vice Chair Raymond Chen stressed that beyond professional development, CIE also focuses on intergenerational legacy: “We want the younger generation of Chinese Americans to understand and carry forward the contributions their predecessors have made in science, technology, and society.”

Yiwen Tang(right), Recipient of the 2025 CIE-SEA APA Youth Scholarship Award (Photo by Xuantong Wu)

With over a century of history, CIE is embarking on a new mission—uniting the wisdom and strength of the Chinese tech community at the intersection of technological innovation and cultural diversity, fostering exchange, legacy, and collaboration.

Group photo of the gala organizers, guests, hosts, performers, and volunteers (Photo by Xuantong Wu)

2025 CIE/SEA Asian American Luminary Award (AALA)

Dr. Qiang Tian (President and Cofounder of Phenome for All)
Dr. Zheqing (Bill) Zhu (Founder and CEO of Pokee AI)
Dr. Zheqing (Bill) Zhu (Founder and CEO of Pokee AI)
Dr. Dong Yu (Distinguished Scientist and Vice General Manager at Tencent AI Lab)
Dr. Luyuan Fang (CEO and Founder of Curative AI, Inc.)
Yun Zhang (Cofounder and CEO of Wyze Labs)
Dr. Weizhu Chen (Technical Fellow & CVP at Microsoft)
Shiao-Yen Wu (President & CEO of WPI Real Estate)

2025 The 23rd CIE/SEA APA Youth Scholarship Award

10th to 12th Grade Category
Amanda Li — The Bear Creek School, 11th Grader
Jason Yao — Interlake High School, 11th Grader
Lauren Ouyang — Tesla STEM High School, 11th Grader
Yiwen Tang — Eastlake High School, 12th Grader

Undergraduate College Category
Kandyce Diep — University of Washington, Freshman

2025 CIE Scholarship Special Award

Community Service Award
Marcus Yao — Bothell High School, 12th Grader
Rebecca Charernruengkit — University of Washington, Freshman

Academic Excellence Award
Abigail Li — Redmond High School, 11th Grader
Ella Su — Redmond High School, 11th Grader
Jessica Yao — Odle Middle School, 8th Grader
Aiden Zheng — Olympia High School, 11th Grader

Extracurricular Excellence Award
Jerry Liu — Eastlake High School, 11th Grader
Audrey Hong — Bellevue High School, 12th Grader
Elena Arkhipova — Interlake High School, 10th Grader
Mingmei Sun — Bellevue High School, 12th Grader

By Terry and Xuantong
Chinese Radio Seattle