Dr. Yakun Zhu is currently a Professor and Ph.D. supervisor at the School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Utah, under the mentorship of Professor Michael L. Free, a specialist in electrometallurgy. Following his Ph.D., he conducted postdoctoral research in collaboration with Professor Gerald S. Frankel at the Fontana Corrosion Center, Ohio State University, and Professor Digby D. Macdonald at the University of California, Berkeley. Before joining the University of Science and Technology Beijing, he worked as a Staff Scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where he also managed Hydrogen and Materials Degradation Lab. His work primarily focuses on fundamental scientific issues related to localized corrosion and corrosion prevention of metallic materials for structural and energy storage applications, exploring key mechanisms of interface/surface interactions with environment. He has been principle investigator of projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) at national laboratories, and the Department of Energy User Facilities etc. He has authored many research papers in prestigious journals like Progress in Materials Science, Acta Materialia, and Corrosion Science etc., and has authored two chapters in English monographs. Some of his research findings have been applied in engineering. He has received several awards, including support from National High-level Early Career Program, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Director's Award for Publication, and National Scholarship for Outstanding Self-financed Students Studying Abroad.

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