Jiawei Yang is an assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering at WPI. He received a PhD from Harvard University in 2019, completed postdoctoral research at MIT in 2023, and joined WPI in 2024.
The Yang lab studies, designs, and assembles polymers across molecular-to-macroscopic scales to develop multifunctional material systems for addressing longstanding materials challenges in health and sustainability.
His research leverages the fundamental understanding of thermodynamics, multi-body interactions, and multi-field couplings of polymers and solid mechanics to enable the design, development, and integration of functionalities and properties in material systems. Of particular interest is the mechanics and physics of materials that link molecular and supramolecular processes to macroscopic material behaviors and map out the synthesis-property-performance relationships. This understanding will also guide new material development and create opportunities for existing materials to expand their use beyond the current scope, with examples including medical implants, biomaterials, adhesives, coatings, sustainable polymers, and more.
He enjoys in teaching mechanics of materials, elasticity, fracture mechanics, and mechanics and physics of soft materials.
