Summary
Dr. Ying Yang earned her B.S. in Chemistry from Nankai University in China. She completed her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at Clemson University, where she conducted research with Prof. Marek Urban on self-healing polymers. After a postdoctoral research position at Clemson, she joined the chemistry faculty at the University of Nevada, Reno in 2019. Dr. Yang currently serves on the editorial advisory board of ACS Macro letters, chairs the ACS POLY Division’s Regional Meetings Committee, and is a member of the Science Outreach Committee of the ACS PMSE Division.
Research interests
Research in the Yang lab lies at the interface of synthetic chemistry, polymer chemistry, and soft materials. Inspired by nature, we are interested in the design and synthesis of polymer materials with built-in dynamic chemistries and hierarchical structures. These dynamic polymer systems enable precise control over the chemical and mechanical properties of materials, unlocking unique functionalities such as mechano-responsiveness, shapeshifting, and re-processability. With growing concerns over sustainability of conventional petroleum-based polymers, our research emphasizes leveraging fundamental chemistry to develop innovative sustainable alternatives.
Honors and awards
- Foundation Early Career Innovator Award (2025)
- Nevada Women in STEM (2023)
- NSF CAREER Award (2022)
- Westfall Scholar Mentor Award (2021)
News features
Education
- Postdoctoral Scholar (2016-2019), Clemson University (Marek Urban)
- Ph.D., Materials Science and Engineering (2016), Clemson University (Marek Urban)
- B.S., Chemistry (2010), Nankai University
Selected publications
Visit Ying Yang's Google Scholar profile to check out the latest publications.