ang operando
Electrochemistry
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Prof. Yao Yang
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Graduate Field Faculty, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Graduate Field Faculty, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Faculty Fellow of Atkinson Center for Sustainability
Office: G60, S.T. Olin Lab, 162 Sciences Drive, Ithaca
E-mail: yaoyang@cornell.edu
Yao's journey to science and personal growth:
Kavli Foundation Nanoscience Profile and Faculty Profile
In Yao's spare time, he enjoys long-distance biking and downhill skiing.
Education
2021-2024
University of California Berkeley
As a Miller fellow at UC Berkeley, he worked with Prof. Peidong Yang at Berkeley Chemistry on developing operando EC-STEM to tackle the fundamental challenges in CO2 reduction to liquid fuels at gas-solid-liquid interfaces in an effort to provide an atomic/molecular-level picture of dynamic electrocatalytic processes with advanced TEM at the National Center of Electron Microscopy (NCEM) and synchrotron X-ray at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) based on Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. More information about the Miller fellowship can be found: https://miller.berkeley.edu/fellowship
2015-2021
Cornell University
Yao was co-advised by Profs. Héctor (Tito) Abruña in electrochemistry and David Muller in electron microscopy, and worked extensively with Prof. Francis DiSalvo on solid-state materials. His PhD work focused on the design and synthesis of precious-metal-free electrocatalysts for alkaline fuel cells and the characterization and understanding of their reaction mechanisms employing operando transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray methods. Yao's PhD work was recognized by the Wentink Award (Highest Graduate Award at Cornell Chemistry)
2011-2015
Wuhan University
Yao was advised by Prof. Lin Zhuang and Li Xiao in Department of Chemistry at Wuhan University on the design of oxygen cathodes of rechargeable Li/Air batteries. Yao was among the 6 out of 7400 senior undergraduates winning the inaugural first-class scholarship of creative research established by WHU former president, Prof. Daoyu Liu, a chemist and devoted education reformer
Awards and Honors
2025: ACS Materials and Interfaces Outstanding Presentations by Young Investigators Award
2021-2024: Miller Postdoctoral Fellowship at UC Berkeley
2024: Journal of Materials Research (JMR) Distinguished Invited Speaker at MRS Spring 2024 (Symposium ES02)
2023: Best Early Career Presentation at MRS Spring 2023 (Symposium CH01)
2022: ACS AC/DC Rising Stars in Analytical Chemistry
2020: Wentink Award
2020: Cornell High-Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) Student Research Award
2019: Microscopy Society of America (MSA) Student Poster Award
2019: Harvard Rowland Fellowship Finalist
2018: Howard Neal Wachter Memorial Prize
2014: Daoyu Liu Scholarship of Creative Research, Wuhan University