Julia Yang

Julia Yang is a computational materials scientist working on novel Li-ion battery electrode upcycling processes to reduce toxic leaching into the environment and create a circular economy for energy storage materials.

Julia earned a BS in Materials Science and Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, with an additional major in Physics, in 2016 and a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from UC Berkeley in 2022 advised by Professor Gerbrand Ceder. She has advanced the theory and application of high-component systems using coarse-graining approaches with statistical methods to study next-generation, earth-abundant Li-ion electrodes. She has also evaluated density functional approximations and investigated the thermodynamics of Na-ion and K-ion energy storage electrodes.

As an Environmental Fellow, Julia works with Professor Boris Kozinsky of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences to understand the mechanisms of solvent interactions with critical minerals to develop green metals upcycling processes that are inexpensive, non-toxic, and adaptable to changing chemistries. They utilize computational approaches and experimental collaborations to navigate, design, and optimize solvents with highly tunable physicochemical properties.

Faculty Host: Boris Kozinsky