UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS) awarded two faculty members in the Penn State College of Engineering the Early Career Faculty Fellow Award. The award was granted to Miaomiao Jin, assistant professor of nuclear engineering, and Yang Yang, assistant professor of engineering science and mechanics and of nuclear engineering, for their outstanding research and service to TMS and Penn State.
TMS currently supports more than 10,000 professional and student members from nearly 70 countries across six continents, connecting engineers and scientists studying materials and their applications across industries. Jin and Yang will present their research in a “Faculty Fellow Lecture Series” at the 2026 TMS Annual Meeting and Exhibition, which will take place March 15-19 in San Diego. Additionally, they will receive support and guidance in developing a new technical symposium at the 2027 TMS Annual Meeting and Exhibition on March 14-18 in Orlando, Florida.
The award is granted to two researchers each year based on their professional achievements, including publications and professional awards, interdisciplinary programs or courses implemented at their institution and involvement in the TMS community. Recipients of the Early Career Faculty Fellow Award must be an assistant professor within the first eight years of their post-doctorate teaching career.
“I am incredibly honored to have been recognized with this award from TMS, and I deeply appreciate the support from the committee and my colleagues," Jin said. “I’ve been heavily involved in the TMS community for the last few years, and I can’t overstate its helpfulness to research professionals looking to build their careers.”
Since joining Penn State in early 2021, Jin has spearheaded research investigating materials in nuclear applications. Her work focuses on utilizing computational methods to predict the behaviors of materials in extreme environments. She is currently the lead investigator on an ongoing CAREER project, supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), studying the application of molten salt in nuclear reactors. Jin earned her doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and conducted research at the Idaho National Laboratory prior to joining Penn State.
“With our work, we seek to push the understanding of how materials perform in extreme environments and withstand radiation damage and corrosion,” Jin said. “We are trying to better understand the fundamental phenomenon and physics behind how materials perform in these environments, which will help us optimize materials and better prepare systems to operate in radiation-rich environments such as reactors and space.”
Yang, who joined Penn State in 2021 as well, has also distinguished himself in the field of advanced materials imaging during his time as an assistant professor. His research uses electron microscopy to observe nano- and atomic scale defects in materials, visualizing how these defects impact materials behavior in extreme environments. Better understanding how defects influence material properties and performance can substantially enhance the durability and functionality of materials used in transportation, energy and electronics systems, Yang explained.
“I am encouraged to see growing recognition of the importance of understanding materials under extreme conditions,” Yang said. “I have collaborated with Dr. Jin for many years, and I am truly delighted that both of us received this award from TMS. It is a rare coincidence to have two faculty from the same institution selected in the same year for this honor, and I believe this reflects how experimental and computational approaches are complementary and equally vital to advancing this field.”
Yang has received several awards for his research efforts, including a NSF CAREER award and a U.S. Department of Energy Early Career Research Program award. Before joining Penn State, Yang received his doctorate from MIT, conducting research at Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Berkeley Lab.
Yang expressed his gratitude to the professional references who helped highlight his work, as well as to the committee at TMS who granted him the award.
“I want to thank TMS for choosing me as a recipient of this year’s Early Career Faculty Fellow Award,” Yang said. “This recognition reflects not only my own efforts, but also the dedication of my students, the guidance of my mentors and the unwavering support of my colleagues, for which I am sincerely grateful.”