Yan Yao
Professor of Earth and Environmental Engineering and of Climate
Yan Yao is a Professor of Earth and Environmental Engineering and of Climate. A leading researcher in electrochemical energy storage, he is known for designing next-generation batteries and sustainable energy materials that make energy storage safer, lower in cost, and less damaging to the environment.
His work bridges fundamental electrochemistry and real-world energy systems, advancing the science of solid-state batteries, organic and sustainable electrode materials, and multivalent battery chemistries, alongside aqueous batteries developed for grid-scale storage.
His research at Columbia focuses on (1) solid-state and next-generation batteries for grid, transportation, and healthcare applications; (2) sustainable electrode materials that reduce reliance on critical minerals; and (3) autonomous materials discovery and battery manufacturing.
Prior to joining Columbia, he was the Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a principal investigator at the Texas Center for Superconductivity at the University of Houston from 2012 to 2026. Professor Yao is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a senior member of the National Academy of Inventors and the IEEE. He received his PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2008 and postdoctoral training from Stanford from 2008 to 2010.
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Professional Experience
- Professor of Earth and Environmental Engineering and of Climate, Columbia University, 2026-
- Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, 2022-2026
- Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, 2020-2022
- Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, 2017-2020
- Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, 2012-2017
- Postdoc, Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, 2010-2012
- Senior Scientist, Polyera Corporation, 2008-2010
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Honors & Awards
- Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Engineering, Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering, Science and Technology, 2025
- Research Excellence Award in Electrochemical Energy Storage, American Chemical Society ENFL Division, 2025
- Highly Cited Researcher, Clarivate Analytics, 2025
- Fellow, Royal Society of Chemistry, 2020
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Education
- PhD, Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles
- BS and MS, Materials Science, Fudan University