Biography

Yagang is a Professor of Chemistry and Materials Science at School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China.
He received his B.S. from Lanzhou University major in materials chemistry in 2000. He obtained M.S. from Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2003. After that, he worked as project manager on oil and fats based fine chemicals at Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences for two years. In 2005, he moved to USA starting his PhD with Professor Ken D. Shimizu working on molecular recognition and molecular imprinted polymers at University of South Carolina and graduated in May 2010. Then He joined Professor Steven C. Zimmerman and Professor Kenneth S. Suslick group at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as a Postdoc Research Associate working on supramolecular chemistry and materials chemistry from 2010-2013.

He returned back to China and took a position of Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering in May 2013 at Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He was awarded Tianshan Scholar Distinguished Professor in 2014. He served as Director of Xinjiang Fine Chemical Engineering Research Center 2014-2019. He started a new position in 2019 as Professor of Chemistry and Materials Science at School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China.

He is currently on the Editorial Advisory Board of Current Organic Chemistry and served as Guest Editor for COC since 2014. He was elected the President of Xinjiang Chemical Society in September 2017. Professor Zhang was elected the Grand Board Member, Chinese Chemical Society in January 2019. With his service in Chinese Chemical Society and Xinjiang Chemical Society, he dedicated his efforts for promoting scientific exchange and cooperation.

Research Interests

Functional oriented molecular recognition and assembly, green and sustainable chemistry and engineering. Research focus on developing advanced functional materials, polymer composite, bio-based materials, fine chemicals based on molecular recognition and molecular imprinting.

Education

Ph.D. May 2010, Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina

M.S. July 2003, Organic Chemistry, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

B.S. July 2000, Materials Chemistry, Department of Materials Science, Lanzhou University

Experiences

July 2019-Present Professor, School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

June 2013-June 2019 Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)

Jan 2014-June 2019 Director of Xinjiang Fine Chemical Engineering Research Center

Jan 2019-Present Grand Board Member, Chinese Chemical Society (2019-2022)

Sep 2017-Present President, Xinjiang Chemical Society (2017-2021)

Jan 2014-Dec 2018 Xinjiang Tianshan Scholar Distinguished Professor

May 2010-May 2013 Post-doc Research Associate, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

May 2005-Aug 2005 Associate professor, Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences

July 2003-April 2005 Assistant professor, Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Honors, Awards, and Recognitions

2020 Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC)

2019 Second Class Prizes of the Xinjiang Scientific and Technological Progress Award

2019 The 13th China Industry-University-Research Cooperation Innovation Award

2019 the 47th Gold Award of the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva, Switzerland

2019 Grand Board Member, Chinese Chemical Society (2019-2022)

2018 First Class Prizes of the Xinjiang Scientific and Technological Progress Award

2018 Outstanding Contribution Award, Xinjiang Chemical Society

2017 President, Xinjiang Chemical Society (2017-2021)

2017 Distinguished Achievement Award, Xinjiang Chemical Society



2016 Second Class Prizes of the Xinjiang Scientific and Technological Progress Award

2016 Second Prize in the Innovation and entrepreneurship competition in Xinjiang

2015 Employee of the year award, Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, CAS

2015 Xinjiang First prize for outstanding new product development

2015 First Prize in the Innovation and entrepreneurship competition in Xinjiang

2014 Xinjiang Tianshan Scholar Distinguished Professor award

2014 Guest Editor, Current Organic Chemistry

2012 Editorial Advisory Board, Current Organic Chemistry

2010 Hiram and Lawanda Allen Award for Excellence in Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina

2009 Excellence in Graduate Polymer Research Symposium Awards, American Chemical Society