Women In Engineering: Mei Yang
This profile series introduces materials scientists from around the world happen to be females. Here we speak with Mei Yang, principal metallurgist, Wyman-Gordon, North Grafton, Mass.
What part of your job do you like most?
I like the opportunity to learn something new. I previously worked with steels and refractory alloys and am now working with titanium. It is a new field for me to apply my fundamental understanding of physical metallurgy to solve practical industrial problems and improve current manufacturing processes. As an expert on computational thermodynamics, I apply modeling to make problem solving more efficient.
What is your greatest professional achievement?
My Ph.D. thesis at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Gaseous Nitriding – Fundamentals, Modeling, and Process Optimization, received the 2012 HTS/Bodycote Best Paper in Heat Treating Award and First Place in Innovation Exchange at the WPI 2012 Graduate Research Achievement Days. Also, in my role at WPI as the associate director of the Center for Heat Treating Excellence (CHTE), we continued to work on and expand the nitriding to ferritic nitrocarburizing, and our work was presented and published at Heat Treat 2021, Furnaces North America Virtual 2020, Heat Treat 2019, Furnaces North America 2018, Thermal Processing in Motion 2018, 4th International Conference on Heat Treatment and Surface Engineering in Automotive Applications, and the European Conference on Heat Treatment 2018.
What is your engineering background?
My bachelor’s degree is in metals and heat treatment. I have two M.S. degrees and my aforementioned Ph.D. My materials science and engineering research is on both metals and ceramics. I have work experience in both industry and academia. In 2013, I joined H.C. Starck as the senior R&D engineer. I had worked on various projects including designing new alloys for the chemical processing industry, developing the process to make new alloys for extreme high-temperature applications, reducing cost through process optimization, exploring the additive manufacturing of refractory alloys, and providing technical support to the plant.
In 2017, I went back to WPI. At CHTE the research focus is on advanced heat treatment processes. By combining modeling and experimental investigation, processes can be optimized and controlled to improve the reliability of their properties. Recent projects include heat treatment of additively manufactured parts, austempering to form bainite, and nitriding and nitrocarburizing.
Best career advice, given or received?
The best advice is from my Ph.D. advisor, Prof. Richard D. Sisson, Jr., FASM: Find the problem and solve it.
Are you actively engaged with ASM or its affiliates?
I’m active in the ASM Heat Treating Society, as a member of the HTS Technology and Programing (T&P) Committee, Heat Treat 2021 Conference Organizing Committee, and Heat Treat 2019 Conference Organizing Committee.
Do you know someone who should be featured in an upcoming Women in Engineering profile? Contact Vicki Burt at [email protected].
