The volumes of Annual Review of Heat Transfer published up to 2005 had been created and edited by Professor Chang-Lin Tien who passed away in 2002. Chang-Lin had an immense and long-lasting impact on the heat transfer community through his pioneering research and community service in heat transfer. This series, itself, is a product of Chang-Lin's leadership and dedicated service. The present Editors decided to use Volume XIV as a bridge between the past and the future, by summarizing Chang-Lin's contributions and reviewing current and future research directions in areas in which Professor Tien made a significant impact. In this volume we have divided his contributions into six topical areas: radiation and combustion, micro/nanoscale heat transfer, phase change and heat pipes, porous media, materials processing and laser materials interactions, and energy systems.

The previous volumes of Annual Review in Heat Transfer reflect all aspects of heat transfer and fluid flow as depicted by an array of the top international specialists in the field. Future volumes are being planned to include the modern achievements in the thermal and fluids sciences.