Ngai Yin Yip

The overarching focus of his research is on advancing physicochemical technologies and innovations for critical separation challenges in water, energy, and the environment. Recent and current projects in his research lab include recovery of critical materials from waste streams, high-salinity desalination, and zero-liquid discharge using selective membranes and switchable solvents. 

Separations are ubiquitous and indispensable for water, energy, and the environment. To this end, transformative innovations in separation science and engineering have been identified as a critical need by the National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine’s report “A Research Agenda for Transforming Separation Science” and various other national reports. The Yip Lab seeks to advance the selectivity, energy efficiency, throughput, and cost-effectiveness of existing separation techniques. At the same time, it endeavors to develop new technologies with novel separation capabilities and improved productivity. The hypothesis-driven and fundamentals-led research is motivated by real-world needs to address current and emerging separation challenges and opportunities for enhanced sustainability.

For his research contributions, Dr. Yip has been featured as an Emerging Investigator by Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology and as a Young Talent by Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering. He is currently an associate editor for RSC journal Environmental Science: Advances. Additionally, Yip serves as an editorial advisory board member for ACS ES&T Engineering and as editorial board member for Desalination and Chemical Engineering Journal Advances.

Yip received his doctoral degree in Chemical and Environmental Engineering from Yale University in 2014. Subsequently, he completed a postdoctoral position at the Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE). He has a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a Minor in Business Administration from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Research Areas

• Environmental Physicochemical Processes
• Environmental Separation Science and Technology
• Sustainable Engineering and Design
• Sustainable Production of Earth Mineral and Metal Resources
• Water Chemistry
• Water Quality Engineering
• Environmental Separations
• Sustainable Materials
• Sustainable Resource Recovery (Sustainable Mining)
• Sustainable Water
• Urban Mining