Ji Yang

Ji Yang, a native of Malaysia, is an undergraduate student majoring in electrical engineering at Arizona State University. His academic journey began in the fall 2024 semester, propelled by a passion to make quantum computing not only possible, but practical — technically stable, universally accessible and globally impactful.

For Ji Yang, engineering isn’t just about solving problems. It’s about seeing connections others miss — across disciplines, across systems and across futures. He also believes in interdisciplinary studies focusing on chemistry, materials science, physics and the philosophy of innovation itself. He believes the most powerful solutions emerge when ideas from different domains converge into one.

Currently, Ji Yang conducts research in two cutting-edge labs. In one, he works alongside graduate and post doctoral students advancing topological qubits. In the second, he explores thin-film materials like perovskites and solid-state batteries, pushing the frontiers of solar technology to build a more sustainable world.

He was selected for the National Academy of Engineering’s Grand Challenges Scholars Program, where he blends engineering with entrepreneurship to create solutions that scale. He is also building his own startup, guided by one core belief: engineering is ultimately about people, making lives better and leaving the world better than we found it.

Ji Yang also finds meaning in philosophy, constantly reflecting on how humanity and technology can evolve hand-in-hand. Outside the classroom, he spends his free time participating in hackathons, where he polishes his skills by building real-world solutions and collaborating with diverse teams. For him, the goal is not merely to push the boundaries of technology, but to harmonize it with humankind — to make the world not only more advanced, but also more livable, meaningful, and fun.

Ji Yang’s advice for students:

“People say electrical engineering is one of the hardest paths you can take in engineering. Maybe it is, but that’s exactly why it’s worth pursuing. If it were easy, everyone would do it. My advice? Obsession. Grit. Resilience. Vision. That’s the formula. Know who you want to become, and don’t let the world decide that for you. Sometimes, life would hit you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you just have to trust that they’ll somehow connect in your future. Remember, nothing changes if nothing changes. So, take a chance, you’ve got nothing to lose.”

Email: [email protected]