Curriculum Vitae

2021-present Postdoctoral Associate | Advisor: Pinshane Y. Huang

 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

• Thermally-activated structural transformations in moiré systems 

2016-2021 Graduate Research/Teaching Assistant | Advisor: David J. Flannigan

 Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

• Defect-mediated anisotropic coherent-acoustic-phonon dynamics

• Substrate-directed strain patterning of 2D materials 

2013-2016 Undergraduate Research Assistant | Advisor: James H. Edgar

  Department of Chemical Engineering, Kansas State University

• Defect selective etching of hexagonal boron nitride 

2014-2016 Undergraduate Research Assistant | Advisor: Ryan J. Rafferty

 Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University 

• Total synthesis of natural product Lagunamide C and Balgacyclamide A 

2012-2013 Undergraduate Research Assistant | Advisor: W George Wang

 Department of Human Nutrition, Kansas State University 

• Effect of exercise on skin cancer prevention in mice

2022 Microscopy and Microanalysis Postdoctoral Scholar Award

2020 Louise T. Dosdall Fellowship, University of Minnesota

2020 Dissertation Fellowship, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society

2019 Conference Travel Grant, University of Minnesota

2019 Microscopy and Microanalysis Student Scholar Award

2016 Bob & Jane Gore Graduate Student Fellowship, University of Minnesota

2015 Donald F. & Mildred Topp Othmer Scholarship Award, AIChE

2015 Tau Beta Pi Scholarship

2015 1st place, AIChE Mid-America Regional Chem-E Car Competition

2015 3rd place, AIChE Mid-America Regional Paper Competition

2015 Akins Service Award, Kansas State University

2015 College of Engineering Leadership Scholarship, Kansas State University

2014, 2015 OURCI Research Grant, Kansas State University (Ryan J. Rafferty)

2014 Tau Beta Pi Honor Society (Elected Junior Year)

2013 Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society (Elected Junior Year)

2013       International Coordinating Council Scholarship, Kansas State University

2013 Agriculture Excellence Scholarship, Kansas State University

2013 1st place, S. Thomas Parker Mathematical Competition, Kansas State University

2013 Outstanding Tutor of the Year Award, Kansas State University

2012 Agriculture Enhancement Scholarship, Kansas State University

2011–2016 University Honors Program, Kansas State University

12. Zhang, Y.*; Baek, J. -H.*; Lee, C. -H.; Jung, Y.; Hong, S. C.; Nolan, G.; Watanabe, K; Taniguchi, T.; Lee, G. -H; Huang, P. Y. Atom-by-atom Imaging of Moiré Transformations in 2D Transition Metal Dichalcogenides. (revision submitted) 

11. Baek, J. -H.; Kim, H. G.; Lim, S. Y.; Hong, S. C.; Chang, Y.; Ryu, H.; Jung, Y.; Jang, H.; Kim, J.; Zhang, Y.; Watanabe, K.; Taniguchi, T.; Huang, P. Y.; Cheong, H.; Kim; Kim, M.; Lee, G. -H. Thermally induced atomic reconstruction into fully commensurate structures of transition metal dichalcogenide layers. Nat. Mater. (in press) 

10. Lee, C. -H.*; Ryu, H.*; Nolan, G.; Zhang, Y.; Lee, Y.; Oh, S.; Cheong, H.; Watanabe, K.; Taniguchi, T.; Kim, K.; Lee, G.-H.; Huang, P. Y. In situ Imaging of Anisotropic Layer-by-layer Phase Transition in Few-layer MoTe2. Nano Lett. 2023, 23, 677-684. 

9. Flannigan, D. J.; Curtis, W. A.; VandenBussche, E. J.; Zhang, Y. Low Repetition-Rate, High-Resolution Femtosecond Transmission Electron Microscopy. J. Chem. Phys. 2022, 157, 180903. (Invited) 

8. Zhang, Y.; Choi, M.-K.; Haugstad, G.; Tadmor, E. B.; Flannigan, D. J. Holey Substrate-Directed Strain Patterning in Bilayer MoS2. ACS Nano 2021, 15, 20253-20260. [Featured in UMN News]

Archived data: https://doi.org/10.13020/14jz-pj24 

7. Zhang, Y.; Flannigan, D. J. Imaging Nanoscale Phonon Softening at Crystal Step Edges with 4D Ultrafast Electron Microscopy. Nano Lett. 2021, 21, 7332-7338.

Archived data: https://doi.org/10.13020/qxmn-1t31 

6. Reisbick, S. A.; Zhang, Y.; Chen, J.; Engen, P. E; Flannigan, D. J. Coherent Phonon Disruption and Lock-In During a Photoinduced Charge-Density-Wave Phase Transition. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2021, 12, 6439-6447. (cover article)

Archived data: https://doi.org/10.13020/gr0s-fm32 

5. Reisbick, S. A.; Zhang, Y.; Flannigan, D. J. Influence of Discrete Defects on Observed Acoustic-Phonon Dynamics in Layered Materials Probed with Ultrafast Electron Microscopy. J. Phys. Chem. A, 2020, 124, 1877-1884. (Invited, Special issue: Time-Resolved Microscopy) (cover article)

4. Zhang, Y.; Flannigan, D. J. Observation of Anisotropic Strain-Wave Dynamics and Few-Layer Dephasing in MoS2 with Ultrafast Electron Microscopy. Nano Lett. 2019, 19, 8216-8224.

3. Hoang, V. L.; Zhang, Y.; Rafferty, R. J. In Pursuit of Balgacyclamide A–Discovery of an Oxazoline Macrocycle with Multiple Myeloma Cytotoxicity and Penetration. Tetrahedron Lett. 2017, 58, 4432-4435.

2. Edgar, J. H.; Liu, S.; Hoffman, T.; Zhang, Y.; Twigg, M. E.; Bassim, N. D.; Liang, S.; Khan, N. Defect Sensitive Etching of Hexagonal Boron Nitride Single Crystals. J. Appl. Phys. 2017, 122, 225110.

1. Hoffman, T. B.; Clubine, B.; Zhang, Y.; Snow, K.; Edgar, J. H. Optimization of Ni-Cr Flux Growth for Hexagonal Boron Nitride Single Crystals. J. Cryst. Growth 2014, 393, 114-118.

9. Zhang, Y.; Lee, C.-H.; Nolan, G. M.; Baek, J.-H.; Lee, G.-H.; Huang, P. Y. In-situ Imaging of Thermally Activated Atomic Reconstruction of Twisted Bilayer Transition Metal Dichalcogenides. Microsc. Microanal. 2022, 28, (Suppl. 1), 1732-1734.

8. Lee, C.-H.; Ryu, H.; Nolan, G. M.; Zhang, Y.; Lee, Y.; Kim, K.; Lee, G.-H.; Huang, P. Y. In-situ Imaging of Anisotropic Layer-by-layer Phase Transition in Few-layer MoTe2. Microsc. Microanal. 2022, 28, (Suppl. 1), 2320-2322.

7. Lee, C.-H.; Zhang, Y.; Hossain, M. A.; Zhang, Y.; van der Zande, A. M.; Huang, P. Y. Tuning the Optical Properties of 2D Materials with Defects and Strain. Microsc. Microanal. 2022, 28, (Suppl. 1), 2014.

6. Flannigan, D. J.; Chen, J.; Curtis, W.; Du, D. X.; Engen, P. E.; VandenBussche, E. J.; Zhang, Y. Time-Resolved TEM Beyond Fast Detectors. Acta Crystallogr. 2021, A77, C420 (Invited)

5. Flannigan, D. J.; Gnabaski, R. A.; Zhang, Y. Femtosecond TEM: Imaging Nanoscale Materials Dynamics at Temporal Extremes. Microsc. Microanal. 2020, 26, (Suppl. 2), 1126-1127.

4. Zhang, Y.; Flannigan, D. J. Strain Patterning via Centroidal Voronoi Tessellation in Few-Layer MoS2. Microsc. Microanal. 2020, 26, (Suppl. 2), 2368-2370.

3. Zhang, Y.; Flannigan, D. J. Direct Imaging of Localized Anisotropic Acoustic-Phonon Dynamics in MoS2. Microsc. Microanal. 2019, 25, (Suppl. 2), 2128-2129. (2019 Student Scholar Award)

2. Zhang, Y.; McKenna, A. J.; Flannigan, D. J. Spatially-resolved Strain-Wave Dynamics in MoS2. Microsc. Microanal. 2018, 24 (Suppl. 1), 1898-1899.

1. Hoffman, T.; Zhang, Y.; Liu, S., Khan, N.; Twigg, M. E.; Bassim N. D.; Edgar, J. H. Assessing Hexagonal Boron Nitride Crystal Quality by Defect Sensitive Etching. Microsc. Microanal. 2017, 23 (Suppl. 1), 1518-1519.

7. Probing Spatiotemporal Modulation of Strain in van der Waals Materials. MRS Fall Meeting, Boston, MA, Nov. 26 – Dec. 1, 2023

6. In Situ Imaging of Phase and Twist Boundaries in 2D Materials. MRS Spring Meeting, San Francisco, CA, Apr. 10–14, 2023

5. Women in Microscopy Workshop, Northwestern University NUANCE Center, Virtual, Mar. 8, 2023

4. In-situ Imaging of Atomic Interfaces of 2D Materials. MRS Fall Meeting, Boston, MA, Nov. 27–Dec. 2, 2022

3. Stanford University and SLAC, Virtual, Aug. 22, 2022.

2. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Virtual, May. 26, 2022.

1. Kavli Institute at Cornell, Cornell University, Virtual, Jan. 11, 2021.

30. Huang, P. Y.; Zhang, Y.; Lee, C.-H.; Baek, J.-H.; Ryu, H.; Nolan, G.; Lee, G.-H. “In-situ TEM of Atomic Reconstruction in 2D Transition Metal Dichalcogenides” MRS Fall Meeting, Boston, MA, Nov. 26–Dec. 2, 2023. (Invited)

29. Flannigan, D. J.; Chen, J.; Zhang, Y. “Imaging Phonon and Phase Dynamics with Ultrafast Electron Microscopy” MRS Fall Meeting, Boston, MA, Nov. 26–Dec. 2, 2023. (Invited)

28. Huang, P. Y.; Nguyen, K.; Lee, C.-H.; Jiang, Y.; Zhang, Y.; Kharel, P.; Zhang, Y.; van der Zande, A. M. “Imaging 2D Moirés at Deep Sub-angstrom Resolution” MRS Fall Meeting, Boston, MA, Nov. 26–Dec. 2, 2023. (Invited)

27. Flannigan, D. J.; Chen, J.; Zhang, Y. “Ultrafast Electron Microscopy for Imaging Phonon and Polar Vortex Dynamics” The 20th International Microscopy Congress, Busan, Korea, Sept. 10–15, 2023. (Invited)

26. Zhang, Y.; Lee, C.-H.; Nolan, G. M.; Baek, J.-H.; Lee, G.-H.; Huang, P. Y. “In-situ Imaging of Thermally Activated Atomic Reconstruction of Twisted Bilayer Transition Metal Dichalcogenides” Microscopy and Microanalysis Meeting, Portland, OR, Jul. 31–Aug. 4.

25. Lee, C.-H.; Ryu, H.; Nolan, G. M.; Zhang, Y.; Lee, Y.; Kim, K.; Lee, G.-H.; Huang, P. Y. “In-situ Imaging of Anisotropic Layer-by-layer Phase Transition in Few-layer MoTe2” Microscopy and Microanalysis Meeting, Portland, OR, Jul. 31–Aug. 4.

24.* Huang, P. Y.; Lee, C.-H.; Zhang, Y.; Hossain, M. A.; Zhang, Y., van der Zande, A. M. “Tuning the Optical Properties of 2D Materials with Defects and Strain” Microscopy and Microanalysis Meeting, Portland, OR, Jul. 31–Aug. 4.

23. Lee, C.-H.; Ryu, H.; Nolan, G. M.; Zhang, Y.; Lee, G.-H.; Huang, P. Y. “In-situ Imaging of Anisotropic Layer-by-layer Phase Transition in Few-layer MoTe2” MRS Spring Meeting, Honolulu, HI, May. 8–13, 2022.

22. Zhang, Y.; Flannigan, D. J. “Direct Imaging of Step-induced Phonon Softening with 4D Ultrafast Electron Microscopy” APS March Meeting, Chicago, IL, Mar. 14–18, 2022.

21. Flannigan, D. J.; Gnabasik, R.; Zhang, Y. “Femtosecond TEM: Imaging Nanoscale Materials Dynamics at Temporal Extremes”. International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies (Pacifichem), Virtual, Dec. 16–21, 2021.

20. Flannigan, D. J.; Chen, J.; Curtis, W.; Du, D. X.; Engen, P. E.; VandenBussche, E. J.; Zhang, Y. “In Situ and Time-resolved Electron Crystallography”. 25th Congress and General Assembly of the International Union of Crystallography, Prague, Czech Republic, Hybrid, Aug. 14-22, 2021.

19. Zhang, Y.; Flannigan, D. J. “Nanoscale Anisotropic Strain Dynamics in MoS2 Images with Ultrafast Electron Microscopy”. MRS Virtual Spring Meeting, Apr. 17–23, 2021. (poster)

18. Zhang, Y.; Choi, M.-K.; Tadmor, E. B.; Flannigan, D. J. “Strain-Induced Centroidal Voronoi Tessellation in Few-Layer MoS2”. MRS Virtual Fall Meeting, Nov. 27–Dec. 4, 2020.

17. VandenBussche, E. J.; Zhang, Y.; Reisbick, S. A.; Flannigan, D. J. “Nonequilibrium Light-Matter Interactions Investigated with Ultrafast Electron Microscopy”. AIChE Virtual Meeting, Nov 16–20, 2020

16. Flannigan, D. J.; Gnabasik, R.; Zhang, Y. “Femtosecond TEM: Imaging Nanoscale Materials Dynamics at Temporal Extremes”. Microscopy and Microanalysis Virtual Meeting, Aug. 2–6, 2020.

15. Zhang, Y.; Flannigan, D. J. “Strain Patterning via Centroidal Voronoi Tessellation in Few-Layer MoS2”. Microscopy and Microanalysis Meeting, Milwaukee, WI, Aug. 2–6, 2020. (poster)

14. Zhang, Y.; Flannigan, D. J. “Feasibility of Layer-Number Determination of Few to Monolayer MoS2 via Combined Simulation and Electron Diffraction Experiments”. MRS Fall Meeting, Boston, MA, Dec. 1–6, 2019. (poster)

13. Zhang, Y.; Flannigan, D. J. “Imaging Structure-Directed Phonon Dynamics in MoS2 with Ultrafast Electron Microscopy”. MRS Fall Meeting, Boston, MA, Dec. 1–6, 2019.

12. Zhang, Y.; Flannigan, D. J. “Direct Imaging of Nanoscale Anisotropic Structural Dynamics with Ultrafast Electron Microscopy”. ACS National Meeting, San Diego, CA, Aug. 25–29, 2019.

11. Flannigan, D. J.; Du, D. X.; VandenBussche, E. J.; Zhang, Y. “Imaging Ultrafast Coherent Phenomena and Mitigating Radiation Damage with Ultrafast Electron Microscopy”. 17th Frontiers of Electron Microscopy in Materials Science, Asheville, NC, Sept. 1–6, 2019.

10. Zhang, Y.; Flannigan, D. J. “Direct Imaging of Anisotropic Acoustic-Phonon Dynamics in MoS2”. Microscopy and Microanalysis Meeting, Portland, OR, Aug. 4–8, 2019. (Student Scholar Award Recipient) (Poster)

9. Flannigan, D. J.; Cremons, D. R.; Du, D. X.; Gnabasik, R. A.; Zhang, Y. “Imaging Coherent and Incoherent Nanoscale Structural Dynamics with Ultrafast Electron Microscopy”. 6th Banff Meeting on Structural Dynamics, Banff, Alberta, Canada, Feb. 9–13, 2019.

8. Flannigan, D. J.; Cremons, D. R.; Du, D. X.; McKenna, A. J.; Plemmons, D. A.; Zhang, Y. “Visualizing Coherent Phonon Dynamics with Femtosecond Electron Imaging”. MRS Spring Meeting, Phoenix, AZ, April 22–26, 2019.

7. Zhang, Y.; McKenna, A. J.; Flannigan, D. J. “Visualization of Coherent Acoustic-Phonon Dynamics in MoS2 with Ultrafast Electron Microscopy”. MRS Spring Meeting, Phoenix, AZ, April 22–26, 2019.

6. Zhang, Y.; Flannigan, D. J. “Spatially-Resolved Strain-Wave Dynamics in MoS2”. Microscopy and Microanalysis Meeting, Baltimore, MD, Aug. 5–9, 2018. (poster)

5. Flannigan, D. J.; McKenna, A.; Plemmons, D.; Reisbick, S.; Zhang, Y. “Imaging Structural Dynamics in TMDCs with Ultrafast Electron Microscopy”. 18th U.S. National Congress for Theoretical and Mechanics, Chicago, IL, June 4–9, 2018.

4. Hoffman, T. B.; Zhang, Y.; Edgar, J. H. “Growth of hBN Using Metallic Boron: Isotropically Enriched h10BN and h11BN”. MRS Fall Meeting, Boston, MA, Nov. 30–Dec. 5, 2014.

3. Hoffman, T. B.; Zhang, Y.; Edgar, J.H.; Khan, N.; Szoszkiewicz, R. “Morphology of bulk hexagonal boron nitride grown from Ni-Cr flux”. Materials Science and Technology Conference and Exhibition, Pittsburgh, PA, Oct. 12–16, 2014.

2. Bellus, M. Z.; Sicilian, D. L.; Chien, H; Weintrub, B. I.; Hoffman, T. B. ; Zhang, Y.; Edgar, J. H.;  Chiu, H. “Atomically Thin Layer MoSe2 on hBN Heterostructure Field-Effect Transistors with Large Photoresponse”. 57th Midwest Solid State Conference, Lawrence, KS, Sept. 28–29, 2013.

1. Kumar, J.; Chien, H.; Bellus, M. Z.; Sicilian, D. L. ; Weintrub, B. I. ; Davis St. Aubin, A.; Hoffman, T. B. ; Zhang, Y.; Edgar, J. H.; and Chiu, H. “Vertical Field-Effect Transistor Based on Graphene-MoS2 Heterostructures”. 57th Midwest Solid State Conference, Lawrence, KS, Sept. 28–29, 2013.

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Sp. 2022 MSE 481: Electron Microscopy | Guest lecturer

• Deliver lectures on diffraction contrast in transmission electron microscopy

University of Minnesota

Sp. 2020 MATS 4400: Senior Design | Teaching Assistant

• Attend weekly meetings with 7 design teams to discuss project and progress

• Grade homework assignment, exams, team presentations, team reports and provide feedback

Sp. 2019 MATS 8004: Mechanical Properties | Teaching Assistant

• Grade weekly homework assignment and exams 

• Prepare homework assignment answers

• Host office hour to answer questions about homework and review for exams

Su. 2018 MATS 2001/2002: Introduction to Materials Science (Lab Teaching Assistant)

• Explain and demonstrated lab exercises

• Grade lab reports and provided feedback

Kansas State University

Sp. 2016 CHM 550: Organic Chemistry 2 (Teaching Assistant)

• Host office hour and grade exams

F. 2015 CHM 211: Chemistry I Laboratory (Lab Teaching Assistant)

• Explain and demonstrate lab activities

• Host office hour and review sessions for exams

Sp. 2015 CHE 416: Computational Techniques in Chemical Engineering (Recitation Instructor)

• Prepar mini lectures on concepts related to recitation exercises

• Grade homework, exams, and projects

Sp. 2014 PHYS 213: Engineering Physics 1 (Lab Teaching Assistant)

• Explain and demonstrate lab exercises

• Host office hours, grade lab reports and exam

University/Departmental Service – University of Minnesota

• President, MRS Chapter, F. 2019–Sp. 2021

• Coordinator, CEMS Women’s Group, F. 2017–Sp. 2020

• Graduate Student Representative, CSE Consultative Committee, F. 2019–Sp. 2020

• Reviewer, Council of Graduate Student Travel Grant, Sp. 2019–F. 2019

•  Coordinator and Volunteer , CEMS Perspective Visiting Weekend, 2018–2020

• Program Coordinator, CEMS Alumni Mentorship Program, 2017–2020

• CSE WISE Mentor, Undergraduate Mentoring Program, F. 2016–Sp. 2020

• Volunteer, CEMS Orientation Week, 2017–2020

• Program Coordinator and Panelist, CEMS Advisor Selection Panel Discussion, F. 2017

 University/Departmental Service – Kansas State University

• Organizing Committee, Engineering Open House, Apr. 16, 2016

• Vice President, AIChE Chapter, F. 2015–Sp. 2016

• Vice President, Omega Chi Epsilon Chemical Engineering Society, F. 2015–Sp. 2016

• Selection Committee, Steel Ring Professional Engineering Honor Society, F. 2015–Sp. 2016

• Department Open House Chair, Department of Chemical Engineering, F. 2014–Sp. 2015

• Membership Coordinator, Tau Beta Pi Kansas Gamma Chapter, F. 2014–Sp. 2015

• Engineering Ambassador, College of Engineering, F. 2013–Sp. 2014

• Undergraduate Representative, Associate Provost of International Programs Search Committee, 2013

• President and Event Coordinator, International Coordinating Council, F. 2012–Sp. 2014

 Outside Service

• Student Poster Judge, Microscopy and Microanalysis Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, Jul. 23-27, 2023

• Microscopy and Microanalysis Meeting Award Committee Member, Microscopy Society of America, Sp. 2023

• Student Poster Judge, Microscopy and Microanalysis Meeting, Portland, OR, Jul. 31–Aug. 4, 2022

• Session Chair, APS March Meeting, Chicago, IL, Mar. 14–18, 2022

• Safety and Poster Judge for AIChE National Chem-E Car Competition, Minneapolis, MN, Oct. 29, 2017

• Organizing Committee, AIChE Mid-America Regional Conference, Manhattan, KS, Apr. 1–3, 2016

• Session Organizer, AIChE Mid-America Regional Student Research Competition, Manhattan, KS, Apr. 2, 2016

• Committee Member, Kansas Peace Award, Manhattan, KS, 2013

 Outreach

• Volunteer, Engineering Open House, Urbana, IL, Mar. 2023

• Prepared science kits for a series of outreach events lead by Illinois MRSEC, Urbana, IL, F. 2021

• Presenter, Echo Park and Cedar Park STEM Elementary School Outreach Event, Minneapolis, MN, Jan. 2017

• Organizer of Crystal Growth Workshop, Girls Researching Our World Outreach Program, Manhattan, KS, June 2014