Lining Yao

Lining Yao is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Director of the Morphing Matter Lab. Her research focuses on the discovery and study of mechanisms in morphing materials, as well as the development of computational design and fabrication algorithms for them. Combining materials science, computational manufacturing, and creative design practices, her work aims to foster sustainable design through dynamic and intelligent morphing materials. Dr. Yao has published extensively in the fields of Human-Computer Interaction and physical sciences, earning multiple Best Paper and Best Talk awards at top international conferences. Her research has also been featured as cover stories in prestigious journals such as Nature, Science Advances, and Advanced Materials Technologies, and widely covered by media outlets including The New York Times, Scientific American, and National Geographic. Dr. Yao is also the co-founder of the MorphingMatter4Girls initiative, a Wired UK Fellow, and an eco-design lecturer appointed by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.

• 2023–Present·University of California, Berkeley·Assistant Professor
  • Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Morphing Matter Lab. Research focuses on exploring the impact of morphing material mechanisms on sustainable design, emphasizing the development of computational design and fabrication algorithms and processes.
• 2017–2023·Carnegie Mellon University·Assistant Professor
  • Assistant Professor at the Human-Computer Interaction Institute, leading the Morphing Matter Lab's research. Published and exhibited work in the fields of science, engineering, design, and art.

• 2017·Massachusetts Institute of Technology·Ph.D.
  • Media Arts and Sciences
• 2012·Massachusetts Institute of Technology·Master's
  • Media Arts and Sciences
• 2010·Zhejiang University·Master's
  • Digital Arts and Design
• 2007·Zhejiang University·Bachelor's
  • Industrial Design