Yan Li

Overview

Yan Li received her PhD degree in mechanical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2014. Prior to joining Dartmouth, she was an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at California State University, Long Beach, and has been a faculty advisor for the Society of Women Engineering since 2014. 

Li's research interests are in the area of mechanics of advanced materials, involving multiscale/ multiphysics modeling, integrated computational/ experimental approaches for next-generation materials design, and application of materials science and solid mechanics in advanced manufacturing. She has done research supported by the US Army Research Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and NSF Center for Computational Materials Design, and has collaborated with industry partners including Boeing, Gulfstream, and GE. 

Outside her lab and classroom, she enjoys classical music, reading, and exploring different cultures and food.

Research Interests

Multiscale and multiphysics modeling; multifunctional materials design and manufacturing; AI-enabled metamaterials for aerospace, energy, and healthcare applications; fracture/ fatigue analysis; process-microstructure-property-performance relation; data-driven materials design

Education

• BS, Mechanical Engineering, Yanshan University 2006
• MS, Material Science Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University 2009
• PhD, Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology 2014

Awards

• Thayer Diversity and Inclusion Award, 2024
• Jubilee Global Diversity Award, 2023
• NH EPSCorR Pilot Award, 2020
• ASME ORR Early Career Award, 2020
• NSF Travel Award for Faculty Development Symposium, 2019
• NSF Travel Award for AISES National Conference, 2019
• NSF Travel Award for the National Diversity in STEM Conference, 2018
• NSF Travel Award for the Faculty Career Development Workshop, 2018
• Best Paper Award of the 8th International Conference on Computational Methods, 2018
• NSF Travel Award for LEVERAGE Summer Institute for Early Career Faculty, 2018
• NSF Travel award for Academic and Research Leadership (ARL) Symposium, 2018
• WAC Teaching Writing Fellow at California State University, Long Beach, 2017
• NSF Travel award for the Academic Leadership for Women in Engineering (ALWE) program, 2016
• Travel award for Professors Around the World at California State University, Long Beach, 2016

Professional Activities

• Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
• The American Ceramic Society (ACerS)
• Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE)

Research Projects

• Metamaterial design for electric vertical take‑off and landing aircrafts

  Metamaterial design for electric vertical take‑off and landing aircrafts

  Electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircrafts have the potential to revolutionize the future of aviation and transportation due to their flexibility to access both urban and remote locations, easier automation implementation and reduced noise and carbon footprint. Due to size limitations for vertical takeoff and landing, traditional design concept of one component structure for one function has reached the bottleneck for further performance improvement. New multifunctional and light-weight materials are needed to overcome limitations and optimize efficiency of eVTOL. The objective of this project is to design new multifunctional lightweight metamaterials that can achieve safe operation, reliable performance and improved thermal management in the battery system of future eVTOL aircrafts. This work is in collaboration with NASA Glenn Research Center to develop processing-microstructure-property knowledge that will support and advance data-informed materials development while aiming to generate long-term, sustainable, and nationally-competitive capabilities in new materials development that is of strategic national importance.

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• Computational material design of multi‑objective multiple principal element alloys

  Computational material design of multi‑objective multiple principal element alloys

  The objective of this work is to develop AI-assisted computational tools to speed up the design and manufacturing of multi-objective multiple principal element alloys.

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• 3D printing of zeolite catalysts

  3D printing of zeolite catalysts

  In this collaborative project, we developed a 3D printing approach capable of fabricating catalysts with enhanced surface area and high catalyst loading. This technology will pave the way for many catalytic activities, such as turning waste into jet fuel and removing greenhouse gas emissions.

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• Dynamic observations of the behavior of snow/ice lenses under load

  Dynamic observations of the behavior of snow/ice lenses under load

  The objective of this project is to elucidate the deformation behavior of snow specimens that contain either a weak snow layer or an ice lens at the microscopic level using advanced imaging techniques and simulation model.

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• Explainable and adaptable artificial intelligence for advanced manufacturing

  Explainable and adaptable artificial intelligence for advanced manufacturing

  The objective of this project is to develop AI-assisted tools that enable explainable and adaptable metamaterial design and manufacturing. 

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• High‑temperature effective piezoelectric composites for future space self‑powering sensors

  High‑temperature effective piezoelectric composites for future space self‑powering sensors

  The objective of this project is to develop 3D printable piezocomposites that can maintain excellent structural integrity under high temperature environments.  

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Selected Publications

• Tang Y, Li Y. (2025) "A novel thermoelectric system for enhancing power generation from waste heat." Energy Conversion and Management. 344: 120262.
• Zhao H, Liu X, Tang Y, Kim A, Li Y. (2025) "A novel compressible piezocomposite design for acceleration and dynamic force sensing." Materials & Design. 257: 114492.
• Zhao H, Tang Y, Liu X, Kim A, Henry J, Li Y. (2025) "High-temperature piezoelectric composites with enhanced structural integrity." Ceramics International. 51: 23417–23424.
• Tang Y, Zhao H, Liu X, Henry J, Li Y. (2024) "Design of metamaterial thermoelectric generators for efficient energy harvesting." Energy Conversion and Management: X. 24: 100699.
• Liu X, Zhao H, Tang Y, Chen C, Zhu Y, Song B, Li Y. (2024) "Few-shot learning-based generative design of metamaterials with zero Poisson's ratio." Materials & Design. 113224.
• Zhao H, Liu X, Li Y. (2024) "Architecture design of high-performance piezoelectric energy harvester with 3D metastructure substrate." Adv. Theory Simul. p2301214 [Featured as the cover].
• Karakaya K, Qian M, Zou R, Zhang W, Lu Z, Maiti D, Samanta A, Wan W, Liu X, Tiplea A, Li Y, Cui S, Wang C, Lei H, Bankston S, Yilmaz S, Chen J, Ozcan S. (2024) "3D printing synthesis of catalysts." Materials Today Sustainability. 100746.
• Tong X, Li Y, Fu M. (2024) "Modeling of grain size effects in progressive microforming using CPFEM." International Journal of Mechanical Sciences. 108971.
• Zhao H, Huddy J, Scheideler W, Li Y. (2023) "Rational design of 3D-printed metastructure-based pressure sensors." Journal of Advanced Engineering Materials. 2301056.
• Li Y, Cao J, Williams C. (2019) "Competing failure mechanisms in metal matrix composites and their effects on fracture toughness." Materialia. 5: 100238.
• Li Y, Zhou M. (2013) "Prediction of fracture toughness of ceramic composites as function of microstructure: I. Numerical simulations." Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids. 61: 472–488.
• Li Y, Zhou M. (2013) "Prediction of fracture toughness of ceramic composites as function of microstructure: II. Analytical model." Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids. 61: 489–503.

Books

Advances in Bioenergy

Elsevier Inc , 2023

News

New 3D-Printable Industrial Catalyst Could Help Turn Waste Products into Valuable Fuel
Jun 29, 2026

Building Bridges: Students in "Solid Mechanics" Test their Designs
Nov 26, 2025

From Waste to Watt: A Thermoelectric Breakthrough
Aug 18, 2025

Celebrating Excellence: The 2024 Faculty Awards
Jul 31, 2024

Irving Institute Awards New Faculty Seed Grants for Energy and Climate Research
Jun 28, 2024

Yan Li Receives Jubilee Global Diversity Award
Oct 12, 2023

Dartmouth Engineering Receives NASA Grant to Develop Sensor Materials That Can Take the Heat
Oct 03, 2022

Dartmouth Engineering Lab Paves the Way for New Highly Specialized Ceramics
Dec 02, 2021

Dartmouth Engineers Win Funding for Biomaterials Research
Oct 09, 2020

Yan Li Wins ASME Early Career Award
Aug 11, 2020

Meet Dartmouth's Newest Teacher-Scholars
Jan 30, 2020

Research Quick Takes

May 07, 2026

3D Printing Thermoelectric Materials

Yehalah Fernando '26 won 1st place at the EE Just Program Research Science Fair for her poster presentation about her work in Yan Li's lab in…

Yehalah Fernando '26 won 1st place at the EE Just Program Research Science Fair for her poster presentation about her work in Yan Li's lab in collaboration with PhD students Ya Tang and Mingzhao Li. "My honors thesis research is on 3D printing thermoelectric materials using the direct ink writing method, which would significantly change the manufacturing process when optimized," said Fernando.

Feb 12, 2026

Better Metamaterial Design Via Transfer Learning

PhD students Xiangbei Liu, Ya Tang, and Huan Zhao, and Professor Yan Li, are co-authors of "A transfer learning–enabled framework for rapid property…

PhD students Xiangbei Liu, Ya Tang, and Huan Zhao, and Professor Yan Li, are co-authors of "A transfer learning–enabled framework for rapid property prediction toward scalable and data-efficient metamaterial design" published in Results in Engineering. When faced with new requirements, conventional machine-learning approaches require substantial new datasets for retraining—basically starting from scratch. Transfer learning can significantly reduce the required amount of training data while maintaining high accuracy and stability. "This approach provides a foundation for building a scalable, data-efficient knowledge base for future applications," said Li.

Aug 21, 2025

Compressible Multifunctional Piezocomposite Sensor

PhD students Huan Zhao, Xiangbei Liu, and Ya Tang, Andrew Kim '27, and Professor Yan Li co-authored "A novel compressible piezocomposite design for…

PhD students Huan Zhao, Xiangbei Liu, and Ya Tang, Andrew Kim '27, and Professor Yan Li co-authored "A novel compressible piezocomposite design for acceleration and dynamic force sensing" published in Materials & Design. The paper presents a design that integrates triaxial acceleration sensing and dynamic force sensing into a single, compact device—addressing the need for combined motion and force feedback in applications such as robotic surgery to enable smoother, more precise operations.

Jun 12, 2025

Research Prize: Metamaterials

PhD student Xiangbei Liu received third prize in the 2025 Neukom Outstanding Graduate Research Awards. Her research with Yan Li's Group uses machine…

PhD student Xiangbei Liu received third prize in the 2025 Neukom Outstanding Graduate Research Awards. Her research with Yan Li's Group uses machine learning to efficiently design metamaterials with zero Poisson's ratio that maintain their shape in the transverse direction when stretched or compressed, making them ideal for soft robotics and biomedical devices.

Mar 20, 2025

Novel Piezo-Composites

PhD students Huan Zhao, Ya Tang, and Xiangbei Liu, undergraduate students Andrew Kim and Jace Henry, and Professor Yan Li co-authored…

PhD students Huan Zhao, Ya Tang, and Xiangbei Liu, undergraduate students Andrew Kim and Jace Henry, and Professor Yan Li co-authored "High-temperature piezoelectric composites with enhanced structural integrity" published in Ceramics International. "This article reports a novel piezoelectric composite that can increase the temperature limit to 500°C while maintaining good structural integrity and mechanical performance. This innovative piezo-composite opens new possibilities for sensing, energy harvesting, and actuation in high-temperature environments," said Li.

Oct 17, 2024

3D Metastructure for Better Energy Harvesting

PhD students Huan Zhao and Xiangbei Liu, and Professor Yan Li co-authored "Architecture Design of High-Performance Piezoelectric Energy Harvester…

PhD students Huan Zhao and Xiangbei Liu, and Professor Yan Li co-authored "Architecture Design of High-Performance Piezoelectric Energy Harvester with 3D Metastructure Substrate" featured on the cover of Advanced Theory and Simulations. "We achieved a remarkable 13.26-fold improvement in PEH performance by replacing the traditional solid substrate with a 3D auxetic unit-cell metastructure," says Li.

Sep 12, 2024

Metamaterial Designs for Better Energy Harvesting

PhD students Ya Tang, Huan Zhao, and Xiangbei Liu, alum Jace Henry '24, and Professor Yan Li co-authored "Design of metamaterial thermoelectric…

PhD students Ya Tang, Huan Zhao, and Xiangbei Liu, alum Jace Henry '24, and Professor Yan Li co-authored "Design of metamaterial thermoelectric generators for efficient energy harvesting," published in Energy Conversion and Management: X. The team demonstrated that thermoelectric generators (TEGs) incorporating metamaterial designs offer significant potential to enhance energy harvesting efficiency and broaden application possibilities. "By capturing waste heat from industrial processes, vehicles, and electronic devices, these metamaterial-based TEGs can contribute to energy conservation and promote environmental sustainability," says Li.

Aug 08, 2024

Machine Learning Leads to Novel Metamaterials

PhD students Xiangbei Liu, Huan Zhao, Ya Tang, and Professor Yan Li are co-authors of "Few-shot learning-based generative design of metamaterials…

PhD students Xiangbei Liu, Huan Zhao, Ya Tang, and Professor Yan Li are co-authors of "Few-shot learning-based generative design of metamaterials with zero Poisson's ratio" published in Materials & Design. The team used their novel approach to "identify a non-periodic metamaterial that does not experience lateral deformation when stretched or compressed—constructed by strategically arranging 64 common unit cells, each having either positive or negative Poisson's ratios. This unique property is highly desirable for applications such as space actuators, tissue scaffolds, and gaskets," said Li.

Apr 25, 2024

Guarini 2024 Best Poster Award

PhD student Huan Zhao won the best poster award at Guarini's 2024 Graduate Student Poster Session. Titled "Additively Manufactured Metamaterial using…

PhD student Huan Zhao won the best poster award at Guarini's 2024 Graduate Student Poster Session. Titled "Additively Manufactured Metamaterial using Piezoceramic-Polymer Composite," the poster presented an innovative way to fabricate piezoelectric composites with improved mechanical, thermal, and electrical performance. This research—part of Yan Li's Group and supported by NASA—addresses the need for damage monitoring and process control for future in-space manufacturing.

Oct 19, 2023

Metastructure-Based Pressure Sensors

PhD students Huan Zhao and Julia Huddy, and professors Yan Li and Will Scheideler are coauthors of "Rational Design of 3D-Printed Metastructure-Based…

PhD students Huan Zhao and Julia Huddy, and professors Yan Li and Will Scheideler are coauthors of "Rational Design of 3D-Printed Metastructure-Based Pressure Sensors" published in Advanced Engineering Materials. The study found that metastructure architecture design can lead to substantial expansion of the sensing range. The practical application of this technology was demonstrated in an undergraduate ENGS 33 bridge project.

Aug 24, 2023

Spidey-Sensors

PhD students Huan Zhao and Xiangbei Liu, and Professor Yan Li co-authored "The Role of Fracture Patterns on Crack-Based Strain Sensors" published in…

PhD students Huan Zhao and Xiangbei Liu, and Professor Yan Li co-authored "The Role of Fracture Patterns on Crack-Based Strain Sensors" published in the Journal of Engineering Materials and Technology. Taking inspiration from the vibration detection mechanism employed by spiders, this computational study provides physical insights for the design and manufacturing of crack-based strain sensors across various applications.

Jun 15, 2023

Better 3D-Printed Electrodes

PhD students Julia Huddy and Huan Zhao, research associate Anand Tiwari, and Professors Yan Li and William Scheideler authored "Graph Theory Design…

PhD students Julia Huddy and Huan Zhao, research associate Anand Tiwari, and Professors Yan Li and William Scheideler authored "Graph Theory Design of 3D Printed Conductive Lattice Electrodes" published in Advanced Materials Technologies. This work aims to model the electrical behavior of 3D lattice structures to guide the design of 3D printed electrodes for electrochemical device applications.