Tackling large socio-environmental issues like climate change and global freshwater scarcity, Shu Yang’s team eyes for natural solutions. Imitating two unlikely products of nature: raspberries and sunflowers, they introduces a scalable, solar-driven water harvesting device that collects moisture from the air. Read more
Penn engineers, materials scientists, and designers have developed a 3D-printed concrete solution based on diatomaceous earth that has enhanced carbon capture, is stronger, and uses fewer materials like cement. Read more
A multidisciplinary team of researchers have successfully developed a cutting-edge method to 3D print cholesteric liquid crystal elastomers (CLCEs), opening the door to dynamic, color-changing materials that can respond to mechanical stress. Read more
Shu Yang is named as one of National Geographic’s 33 Extraordinary Changemakers who are creating a better future for the planet. Yang is recognized for her pioneering work in biomimicry, a field dedicated to finding innovative solutions to global problems by studying and emulating patterns in the natural world. Read more
As UPenn Engineering Postdoctoral Researcher Kun-Hao Yu transitions from his role to an Assistant Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Syracuse, he reflects on his journey and shares insights into his preparation for this new chapter. Read more
Sophia Jackson, the 1st year PhD student in the Yang group, has been awarded the 2024 ForEverglades Research Enhancement Grant to to fund her innovative project titled “Coral Restoration of Sustainable and 3D Printed Artificial Coral Reefs.” . Read more
Shu Yang looks at her research through the lens of biomimicry: life forms and natural shapes have inspired her unique engineering solutions that span agriculture, building cooling and heating and reversible adhesives. For Yang, each of her innovations starts with changes on a fundamental level that can then grow into scalable and impactful products. Her … Read more
How seeds implant themselves in soil can seem magical. During rain or high humidity, the corkscrew-like stalk of Erodium unwinds and twists the seed into the soil, where it can take root and is safe from hungry birds and harsh environmental conditions. Inspired by Erodium’s magic, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University collaborated with Syracuse University, … Read more
Climate change is forcing us to reshape our relationship with water. Collecting atmospheric water could help us adapt to both severe dry spells and inundating amounts of precipitation by providing a source of freshwater or dehumidifying humid places. The Yang lab and collaborators have created a kirigami device utilizing the geometry of simple materials to … Read more
For many breast cancer patients, the road to recovery may present hidden complications related to breast reconstruction following a mastectomy. The insertion of implants can lead to implant malposition, a condition that affects a significant number of patients even years after surgery. Now, the Yang lab and collaborators have used the principles of a papercutting … Read more
