Dr. Jien-Wei Yeh stands as a preeminent figure in materials science and engineering, currently holding the distinguished position of Distinguished Chair Professor at National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan. His academic journey at NTHU spans over three decades, beginning with his appointment as Associate Professor from 1980 to 1994 before ascending to Professor in 1994, where he has remained ever since. A distinguished alumnus of NTHU, Dr. Yeh earned his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the same institution that now celebrates his remarkable contributions. Since 2018, he has directed the High Entropy Materials Center, establishing a world-leading research hub dedicated to advancing this transformative field. His office resides in the Materials Science & Technology Building at NTHU, where he continues to mentor students and guide groundbreaking research initiatives.
Dr. Yeh pioneered the revolutionary concept of high-entropy alloys in 1995, fundamentally reshaping materials science by challenging conventional wisdom about alloy design. He spearheaded the first dedicated research group on this subject in 2001, funded by Taiwan's National Science Council, which culminated in several seminal papers published in 2004 that established the theoretical and practical foundations of the field. Globally recognized as the Father of High-Entropy Alloys, his work has generated extraordinary impact with a Google Scholar H-index of 95 and more than 54,921 citations across 336 publications. The groundbreaking nature of his research earned recognition from Nature, which featured a special interview titled Metal Mixology, acknowledging Taiwan as the birthplace of high-entropy alloy research. Dr. Yeh's philosophy of leveraging entropy as a design principle has opened entirely new pathways for developing advanced materials with unprecedented properties.
Dr. Yeh's exceptional contributions have been honored with numerous prestigious awards including the 2025 President Science Award, Taiwan's highest scientific honor, recognizing his transformative impact on materials science. In 2016, he received the Honorary Membership from the Indian Metals Society, an exclusive distinction among its approximately 8,000 members, alongside the Ministry of Science and Technology's Outstanding Research Award the same year. His innovative work has extended beyond theoretical advancements to practical applications, including the development of spark-free and non-toxic high-entropy alloy hand tools for hazardous environments such as chemical plants and mines. Dr. Yeh continues to push the boundaries of materials science with ambitious goals of developing high-entropy alloys and room-temperature superconducting materials that are stronger and more temperature-resistant. His visionary pursuit of materials innovation remains focused on fulfilling his dream of inventing advanced technologies that could revolutionize transportation and energy systems.
