Yan Wang poses in his lab

Yan Wang elected a 2025 Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors

WPI’s Yan Wang Named Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors

Prestigious honor recognizes his groundbreaking battery-recycling innovations, entrepreneurial leadership, and global impact
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December 11, 2025

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Professor Yan Wang, the William B. Smith Professor of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, has been elected a 2025 Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI)—the highest professional distinction awarded exclusively to academic inventors.

Wang is among 185 exceptional inventors selected for the 2025 class, which includes 169 U.S. Fellows and 16 international Fellows. Collectively, this year’s cohort holds more than 5,300 U.S. patents and includes Nobel laureates, National Medal recipients, and members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

A global leader in battery recycling and sustainable manufacturing, Wang is widely recognized for pioneering a hydrometallurgical process that recycles lithium-ion batteries at industrial scale. His innovations have produced 12 U.S. patents and have led directly to the creation of two companies, including the industry-leading Ascend Elements and AM Batteries. His work has received numerous national accolades, including the inaugural Bayh-Dole “Faces of American Innovation” award. He was also named to the NAI Class of Senior Fellows in 2022.

 

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WPI has provided an environment where fundamental research and real-world impact go hand-in-hand, enabling our technologies to move from the lab to industry and contribute to a more sustainable world. Beginning Quote Icon of beginning quote
  • Professor Yan Wang

“Being elected an NAI Fellow is a tremendous honor, and I am grateful for this recognition of the work my students, postdoctoral fellows, collaborators, and I have pursued over many years,” said Wang. “WPI has provided an environment where fundamental research and real-world impact go hand-in-hand, enabling our technologies to move from the lab to industry and contribute to a more sustainable world.”

WPI President Grace Wang, a member of the NAI Fellows Class of 2024, praised the recognition as a milestone not only for Professor Wang, but also for the university’s innovation ecosystem.

"NAI Fellowship is one of the most prestigious honors an academic inventor can receive, and we are very proud of Yan Wang for this well-deserved achievement,” said President Wang. “His groundbreaking research in battery-recycling technology and innovative entrepreneurship exemplify WPI’s mission to translate purpose-driven research into real-world solutions that strengthen industries, protect our planet, and improve lives.”

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NAI Fellowship is one of the most prestigious honors an academic inventor can receive, and we are very proud of Yan Wang for this well-deserved achievement. Beginning Quote Icon of beginning quote
  • President Grace Wang

NAI Fellows represent the pinnacle of academic innovation, spanning fields such as quantum computing, AI, bioengineering, and climate technology. Since its founding in 2012, the Fellows program has grown to include more than 2,250 distinguished inventors whose combined innovations have generated an estimated $3.8 trillion in economic impact and 1.4 million jobs.

“NAI Fellows are a driving force within the innovation ecosystem, and their contributions across scientific disciplines are shaping the future of our world,” said Dr. Paul R. Sanberg, FNAI, President of the National Academy of Inventors. “We are thrilled to welcome this year’s class of Fellows to the Academy.”

The 2025 NAI Fellows will be formally inducted and presented with medals by a senior official of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office at the 15th Annual NAI Conference, held June 4, 2026, in Los Angeles, California.

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