The Bridge - Issue 1, 2022 - 18

2021 Year in Review
Ph.D. Student at CalTech and Former Secretary
of IEEE-HKN Theta Rho Chapter is Named
2021 HKN Outstanding Student of the Year
Frank Yuan-Shaw Yang,
a 2021 National Science
Foundation Graduate
Research Fellow and 2021
Phi Beta Kappa Honor
Society (Rice University
Chapter) inductee, has
been selected as the
2021 Alton B. Zerby and
Carl T. Koerner Outstanding Electrical or Computer
Engineering Student Award recipient.
He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Applied Physics at
the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA.
Frank served as Secretary of the IEEE-HKN Theta
Rho Chapter at Rice University, where he earned a
Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering
and a Bachelor of Art in Physics. He graduated
Summa Cum Laude in May 2021.
His was a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow
(2021), Quantum-SURF Fellow at Atwater Group:
Quantum Optics/Nanophotonics, researching
coupling hexagonal boron nitride quantum emitters
with dielectric metasurfaces. He also served as
an Undergraduate Research Assistant at Naik
Group: Nanophotonics from 2017 to 2021, at the
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering,
Rice University, researching non-Hermitian
nanophotonics in the visible, depth sensing with
optical metasurfaces.
Frank is the recipient of numerous awards, including
the Rice University Electrical and Computer
Engineering Best Senior Design Project (2021); Rice
University Distinction in Research and Creative Work
Award (2021); Rice Engineering Alumni Senior Merit
Award (2021); Rice Engineering Alumni Distinguished
Research Excellence Award (2021); and the James
S. Waters Creativity Award (2021), which recognizes
unusual creativity in independent work.
One of Frank's nominators Gururaj V. Naik, Assistant
Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Rice
University, said: " (Frank's) dedication, inspiration, hard
THE BRIDGE
work, and creativity have enabled him to
transform into a fine scientist-in-the-making.
He has lead research projects in my group,
presented in international conferences, won the
best presentation award at Materials Research
Society (MRS) conference in 2020, authored four
papers (one currently under review), and is
currently preparing another. "
Frank served as an Academic Fellow for Brown
College, where he lived while on-campus living was
permitted. He tutored students in Physics.
Benjamin J. Fregly, Ph.D., Professor and CPRIT Scholar in
Cancer Research, and Brown College Magister, said: " To
become an Academic Fellow, not only does a student
need to have a strong GPA, but the student also has to
have a demonstrated ability to teach and help others
learn. Frank is a rare breed in that he is both brilliant
intellectually and able to communicate well with other
students who need academic assistance. "
Frank will receive a US$1,000 award honorarium
and an engraved plaque.
IEEE-HKN's Alton B. Zerby and Carl T. Koerner
Outstanding Electrical or Computer Engineering
Student Award recognizes outstanding scholastic
excellence and high moral character, coupled with
demonstrated exemplary service to classmates,
university, community, and country. This program is
administered by the Los Angeles Area Alumni Chapter
of IEEE-HKN.
The Outstanding Student Award
Finalists for 2021 were:
Alexander Bushinsky
Epsilon Omicron Chapter
University of Delaware
Hannah Schroeder
Epsilon Epsilon Chapter
University of Houston

https://hkn.ieee.org/get-involved/awards/alton-b-zerby-and-carl-t-koerner-outstanding-student-award https://hkn.ieee.org/get-involved/awards/alton-b-zerby-and-carl-t-koerner-outstanding-student-award https://hkn.ieee.org/get-involved/awards/alton-b-zerby-and-carl-t-koerner-outstanding-student-award

The Bridge - Issue 1, 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Bridge - Issue 1, 2022