Yongfeng Zhang

Yongfeng Zhang is a Research Professor in the Department of Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering, with affiliations in Materials Science & Engineering. His research focuses on materials aging and degradation in extreme conditions through microstructure-based modeling.

Education:

• PhD, 2009, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• MS, 2004, University of Science and Technology of China
• BS, 2001, University of Science and Technology of China

Dr. Zhang investigates nuclear fuels and materials under radiation, high temperature, stress, and corrosive environments. His work uncovers degradation mechanisms by tracking microstructure evolution and constructing structure-property correlations to predict degradation rates and guide novel material development.

Recent publications highlight his expertise in radiation effects, defect thermodynamics, and computational modeling of nuclear materials, with a focus on uranium alloys, thorium dioxide, and TRISO fuel microstructure.

Scientific Awards:

• 2020 US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Faculty Development Award
• 2016 Exceptional Contribution and Expanded Recognition Awards at Idaho National Laboratory (INL)
• 2016 INL Laboratory Director’s Leadership Award
• Multiple scholarships from University of Science and Technology of China

As a leader of the Computational Microstructure Science Group at INL and current UW-Madison faculty, Dr. Zhang teaches graduate courses like Nuclear Engineering Materials and Research and Thesis for nuclear and materials science students.