Shaolou Wei honoured with Outstanding Reviewer Award 2025

At a glance

• Award: Certificate of Excellence in Reviewing 2025 from the Acta journals to Dr Shaolou Wei, group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials.
• Significance: Acknowledges the essential role of peer reviewers in maintaining the quality and integrity of scientific research.

Peer review is a vital part of scientific publishing, helping to ensure that research is accurate and of the highest standard. In recognition of his contribution, Dr Shaolou Wei, group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials, has received a Certificate of Excellence in Reviewing 2025 from the journals Acta Materialia and Scripta Materialia.

“As Max Planck described the search for nature's laws as 'the most sublime scientific pursuit', peer review is our way to distinguish evidence from speculation, mechanisms from observations, and lasting understanding from passing excitement, ensuring that new discoveries are genuinely grounded in sound physics and chemistry. Even as AI becomes increasingly capable, I firmly believe that the pursuit of scientific truth will always necessitate human curiosity, skepticism, and judgment”, says Wei.

About the Reviewer Award

The award recognises reviewers who have made exceptional contributions throughout the 2025 calendar year. Recipients are nominated by the editors and governing board of Acta Materialia and Scripta Materialia for the quality, thoroughness and dedication of their reviews.

In addition to the certificate, awardees receive an honorarium in appreciation of their commitment to supporting the journals and helping to maintain the high standards of scientific publication.