UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Yang Yang, assistant professor of engineering science and mechanics in the Penn State College of Engineering, has been selected as a recipient of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Early Career Research Program Award for 2025.
The DOE Early Career Research Program supports exceptional researchers during their formative career years, funding innovative projects that align with the nation’s energy and scientific priorities, according to their website. Awardees of an institution of higher education receive approximately $875,000 over a five-year period to advance their work in fundamental science and engineering.
Yang, who is also affiliated with the Materials Research Institute and Department of Nuclear Engineering at Penn State, will use this money to investigate how radiation changes the structure of metallic glasses, which is a unique type of solid that is neither a regular crystal nor a liquid. When exposed to radiation, most metals swell and weaken due to the formation of tiny empty spaces called voids. However, metallic glasses behave differently: They sometimes become stronger and more ductile instead of deteriorating.
With this funding, Yang said he aims to uncover why this happens by identifying what atomic-scale defects form in metallic glasses under radiation and how these defects influence swelling. To do so, Yang and his team are combining advanced electron microscopy, computer simulations and machine learning in one integrated framework. This approach, Yang said, will help the researchers visualize and predict how radiation interacts with these materials at the atomic level — something that has never been fully understood before.
“Understanding how materials respond to radiation is critical for building safer and longer-lasting nuclear reactors, improving the reliability and longevity of our energy infrastructure,” Yang said.
This research supports a more sustainable future by helping scientists design materials that last longer and perform better under demanding conditions, according to Vincent Meunier, department head of engineering science and mechanics and P.B. Breneman Chair and professor.
“Yang’s discoveries may pave the way for safer, longer-lasting components in next-generation reactors,” Meunier said.