Emma (Yanjiao) Yi

Research leader and chemical engineer with 7+ years of post-Ph.D.

experience directing and supporting multidisciplinary clean-energy and advanced-materials programs across university, national-laboratory, federal-agency, and industry settings. Serves as PI/Co-PI on eight funded and proposed initiatives representing ~$4.4 M in listed proposed project value, coordinating cross-institutional teams, managing budgets, milestones, and deliverables, and translating technical objectives into reports, proposals, and partner communications. Builds and operates laboratory infrastructure, establishes operating and safety protocols, and supervises, mentors, and trains researchers and staff at all levels, combining bench-level technical depth with program administration and team leadership.

Bilingual (English/Chinese) communicator experienced in bridging technical, administrative, and executive audiences.

Research Assistant Professor - University of South Carolina - Columbia, SC

(2024-05)

• Direct and coordinate multidisciplinary research programs across university, national-laboratory, federal-agency, and industry partners spanning clean energy, critical-materials recovery, hydrogen, CO2 conversion, plastics upcycling, and industrial decarbonization.
• Administer NSF-, DOE-, and industry-funded programs: define technical objectives and work plans, track budgets, milestones, and deliverables, prepare technical and progress reports, and serve as primary point of contact for partner communications.
• Serve as PI/Co-PI on 8 competitive proposals representing ~$3.94M in listed proposed project value; lead technical strategy, workplan development, partner-input coordination, scheduling, and narrative writing.
• Supervise, mentor, and train undergraduate and graduate researchers in laboratory practices, catalyst synthesis, reactor testing, data analysis, safety compliance, and scientific communication - building bench strength and continuity across the research group.
• Plan, prioritize, and oversee catalyst-development workstreams (hydrogen storage, plastic upcycling, ethylene epoxidation, greenhouse-gas mitigation, energy-efficient processing), allocating researcher time and equipment across concurrent projects.

Catalysis Science Researcher - University of South Carolina - Columbia, SC

(2019-10 - 2024-04)

• Coordinated experimental priorities, timelines, and data packages across a multi-person research team for federally and industry-supported catalyst-synthesis, characterization, and reactor-testing programs.
• Built, commissioned, and operated fixed-bed reactor and mass-spectrometry analytical systems; established and documented standard operating procedures adopted across the lab group.
• Directed research on metal and bimetallic catalyst systems (single atoms, clusters, nanoparticles, core-shell, alloy, and dilute-limit-alloy architectures), managing progress against sponsor deliverables.
• Communicated findings and progress to funding partners and collaborators through reports, presentations, publications, and proposal materials.

Visiting Research Scholar - University of South Carolina - Columbia, SC

(2011-07 - 2013-02)

• Developed analytical protocols and led spectroscopic studies of fuel-conversion and hydrotreating catalysts within an international, cross-cultural research team.

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Instructor - Yanzhou Mining Bureau - Jining, China

(2006-09 - 2008-08)

• Designed and delivered workforce training curricula in chemistry, chemical-engineering fundamentals, safety, and applied industrial practice for mining-industry employees; developed training materials and assessed learner progress.

Ph.D. - Chemical Engineering - Dalian University of Technology, State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals (2014)

B.S. - Chemical Engineering - Shandong University of Science and Technology (2006)