Professor Vivian Wing Wah Yam is a world-renowned chemist and leading authority in inorganic and photochemical sciences. She currently serves as the Philip Wong Wilson Wong Professor in Chemistry and Energy and Chair Professor at The University of Hong Kong. After receiving her B.Sc. with First Class Honours and Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Hong Kong in 1985 and 1988 respectively, she began her academic career at the City Polytechnic of Hong Kong in 1988. She returned to her alma mater in 1990 and rose through the academic ranks, becoming Professor in 1997 and Chair Professor in 1999. She served as Head of the Chemistry Department from 2000 to 2005, demonstrating both scholarly excellence and significant leadership within the university.
Professor Yam's pioneering research has fundamentally transformed the field of inorganic photophysics through her innovative work on luminescent materials and energy conversion systems. Her groundbreaking studies on metal-metal interactions and supramolecular assemblies have yielded novel molecular functional materials with applications in optoelectronics and solar energy capture. Her seminal contributions to photochromic materials and luminescence chemosensors have enabled new approaches to molecular sensing and imaging technologies. Her work on light-emitting materials and innovative solar energy capture methods earned her recognition as a Laureate of the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award in 2011, highlighting the global significance of her scientific contributions.
As a highly influential figure in global chemistry, Professor Yam has received numerous prestigious honors including election to the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2001 at age 38, making her the youngest member of the Academy at that time. She was later elected as a Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Sciences in 2012, further cementing her international standing. Her leadership extends through her role as Associate Editor of Inorganic Chemistry since 2008 and her participation in international advisory boards including Japan Science and Technology's PRESTO program. Continuing to advance molecular functional materials research, Professor Yam remains dedicated to developing sustainable energy solutions while mentoring future generations of scientists in Hong Kong and across the global scientific community.
