Yang Zhao

Dr. Yang Zhao is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Wayne State University. He has served as Department Chair from 2000 to 2013, during which he recruited eight faculty members, raised funds for the Endowed Forest E. Brammer Lecture Series, and increased department research expenditures from $2M to $5M annually.

• Education: Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering (Pennsylvania State University), M.S. in Electrical Engineering (The Ohio State University), B.S. in Optical Engineering (Zhejiang University)

Dr. Zhao specializes in photonics and optics, with research focusing on photonic devices, optical sensing, nanoscale optics, and low-index subwavelength structures. His work bridges fundamental optical theory with practical applications in sensing and communication systems.

Selected publication trends show expertise in photonic crystals, graphene-based tunable optics, effective medium theory, and biomimetic motion detection. His work has been featured in journals like Science and Physics World, with three U.S. patents held.

• WSU Board of Governors Faculty Recognition Award

As an active academic leader, Dr. Zhao has mentored teams, secured significant research grants, and contributed to advanced optics education through courses like Engineering Optics (ECE4850) and Communication Theory (ECE4700).