Rice ECE Alumnus Frank Yang named the 2021 Alton B. Zerby and Carl T. Koerner Outstanding Electrical or Computer Engineering Student Award recipient

For his outstanding scholastic excellence, high moral character, and exemplary service to classmates, university, community and country.

Frank Yang

Frank Yuan-Shaw Yang has received the 2021 Alton B. Zerby and Carl T. Koerner Outstanding Electrical or Computer Engineering Student Award from the IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu Society.

Yang earned his B.S. in electrical engineering and B.A. in physics from Rice in 2021.

While a student at Rice, Yang served as secretary of the IEEE-HKN Theta Rho Chapter and was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. His awards, all from 2021, include the Electrical and Computer Engineering Best Senior Design Project, the Distinction in Research and Creative Work Award, Rice Engineering Alumni (REA) Senior Merit Award, the REA Distinguished Research Excellence Award, and the James S. Waters Creativity Award.

Yang served as an undergraduate research assistant in the Nanophotonic Materials Laboratory of assistant professor of ECE Gururaj V. Naik from 2017 to 2021.

“I feel fortunate to be Franks mentor. He is one of the top highlights of my career as an assistant professor,” Naik said. “He led research efforts in my group collaborating with graduate students, other undergraduate researchers, and an Army Research Lab scientist.”

The Naik Lab focuses on the gap between quantum optics and nanophotonics. Its researchers study quantum-phase transitions and the interaction of light with quantum materials to solve problems in energy, imaging and information security. Yang worked on non-Hermitian nanophotonics in the visible spectrum and depth sensing with optical metasurfaces.

Ultimately, Frank demonstrated a nanophotonic device with a non-trivial topology. Such devices can be game-changing for thermal imaging and we are currently working on it.

Yang will receive a $1,000 honorarium and an engraved plaque. The award will be presented during the annual meeting of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association.

The Zerby/Koerner Student Award recognizes “outstanding scholastic excellence, high moral character, and exemplary service to classmates, university, community, and country.” It is named in honor of Alton B. Zerby and Carl T. Koerner, charter members of Eta Kappa Nu and graduates of UCLA.