Dr. Zhe Yang Receives 2026 James J. Morgan Early Career Award (Asia Pacific Region)
Dr. Zhe Yang, Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at HKUST, has been honored with the 2026 James J. Morgan Early Career Award. This prestigious honor, given by the Environmental Chemistry Division of the American Chemical Society (ACS) as well as Environmental Science & Technology (ES&T) and ES&T Letters (both ACS publications), is awarded to the Asia Pacific region every three years. The 2026 Award has been bestowed on only four early career researchers to recognize their outstanding contributions to environmental science and technology and for making innovative and impactful advancements in the field.
The James J. Morgan Award, named after the founding Editor-in-Chief of Environmental Science & Technology, celebrates individuals whose research demonstrates exceptional creativity and addresses global environmental challenges. Dr. Yang has received the honor for not only his work but also leadership in pioneering membrane-based circular resource recovery, including lithium extraction from spent batteries and high-efficiency water/wastewater treatment processes. In addition to the various aspects that his research advances fundamental scientific understanding, the Award also underscores the many ways that Dr. Yang’s endeavors help to drive sustainable solutions for critical environmental and resource issues, catalyzing real-world applications that are tremendously beneficial to both society and the environment.
The Department is thrilled to congratulate Dr. Yang for his remarkable achievement and the well-deserved honor!
