Yang Shao-Horn is internationally renowned for her work and expertise in electrochemical energy conversion and storage. She has made significant strides in the understanding of the electronic structures of surfaces, with a particular focus on metal oxides, catalytic activity, surface/interface reactivity, and ion transport. She has spearheaded several breakthroughs in lithium-ion batteries, lithium-air batteries, PEM fuel cells, and solid oxide fuel cells, making important advancements in cost-effective renewable energy.
Yang is a recognized leader in her field, serving on the advisory boards of leading journals in energy science and physical chemistry, and is a highly sought-after speaker. She is a Royal Society of Chemistry Fellow and an AAAS Fellow. She serves the MechE community as a coordinator of professional development activities for graduate students and co-leads research on rechargeable metal-air batteries for the Skoltech Center for Electrochemical Energy Storage (CEES).
Yang has published 180 archival journal papers and has advised more than 50 graduate students and postdoctoral associates at MIT, 15 of whom have gone on to work at academic institutions all over the world. She is recognized for her excellence as a mentor and is admired for her ability to motivate, inspire, and nurture emerging researchers early on in their careers.
Yang is the recipient of several awards and honors, including the Charles Tobias Young Investigator Award from the Electrochemical Society, the Tajima Prize from the International Society of Electrochemistry, the Gail E. Kendall Professorship in Mechanical Engineering, the Research Award from the International Battery Materials Association, and the Singapore Research Professorship.
Yang earned her BS in metallurgical and materials engineering from Beijing University of Technology and her PhD in metallurgical and materials engineering from Michigan Technological University.