Weiguo Yang

Dr. Weiguo Yang is a Professor in the College of Engineering and Technology at Western Carolina University (WCU). He holds a B.S. and M.A. from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Princeton University. Prior to academia, he worked at Bell Labs and Ciena Corp., focusing on photonic networks, devices, and fiber optics. His research bridges metamaterials, surface plasmonics, and quantum computing, with federal funding from NSF and DoD programs. He is a leader in innovative teaching methods like POGIL and PBL, redesigning WCU’s engineering curricula.

• Education:
  • B.S. in Applied Physics, USTC (1992, GuangHua Scholarship)
  • M.A. in Laser Optics, USTC (1995)
  • Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, Princeton University (1999)

Research Interests: Dr. Yang’s work emphasizes metamaterials, surface plasmonics applications in sensing/energy, and quantum information systems. His industry experience in optical communications informs his exploration of advanced photonic devices and network technologies.

Teaching & Innovation: He champions active learning modalities, integrating hands-on PBL and POGIL frameworks to enhance STEM education. His efforts restructured WCU’s engineering curriculum to emphasize project-based learning.

• Awards: GuangHua Scholarship (1992)
• Grants: NSF Industry-University Cooperative Research Center, DoD SBIR/STTR
• Patents: 10 U.S. patents (awarded/pending)

Labs/Teams: Leads metamaterials and plasmonics research at WCU, collaborating with industry on photonics and quantum technologies.