Vassilis Kostopoulos | Engineering Achievements | Best Researcher Award

Published on by Scientist Day

Prof. Vassilis Kostopoulos | Engineering Achievements | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Vassilis Kostopoulos | University of Patras | Greece

Professor Vassilis Kostopoulos is a leading Greek academic in applied mechanics, composite materials, and aerospace engineering. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens and a PhD in Applied Mechanics from the University of Patras, specializing in wave propagation, scattering, and non-destructive testing of composite materials. He has served as Professor and Director of the Applied Mechanics & Vibrations Laboratory at the University of Patras, contributing significantly to its international visibility and research impact. He has held prestigious international appointments as a Visiting Scientist at JRC Petten in the Netherlands, as a Visiting Professor at the University of Delaware in the United States, and most recently at George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Târgu Mureș in Romania. Professor Kostopoulos has played influential roles in major European aerospace and composite-materials initiatives, serving on the Technical Committee of Clean Aviation, the Advisory Council for Aviation Research and Innovation in Europe, and the Council of the European Society for Composite Materials, where he also served as President. He has additionally contributed to several European research and innovation program committees and evaluation panels. His expertise spans a broad teaching portfolio at undergraduate and graduate levels, including mechanics, composite materials, wave propagation, elasticity, fatigue, structural design, non-destructive inspection, and aerospace technologies. His research interests include lightweight composite structures, structural health monitoring, nano-engineered composites, high-strain-rate behavior, additive manufacturing, space technologies, unmanned aerial systems, and biomechanics. Professor Kostopoulos has an extensive scholarly record, with hundreds of publications in international journals and conferences, several books and book chapters, invited lectures, and numerous technical reports. He has coordinated a large number of international research projects funded by European and global organizations, supervised many PhD and MSc theses, co-organized numerous international conferences, and holds multiple European, US, and national patents. His work has earned thousands of citations, high bibliometric indices, and multiple international awards in aerospace, innovation, and space-related competitions.

Profile: Scopus | Orcid

Featured Publications

Karatzas, E., Nikolaou, E., Pitsis, A., Alexopoulos, S., Roussos, S., Georgantakis, E., Lappas, V., & Kostopoulos, V. (2026). Conceptual design and analysis of a tube-launched fixed-wing UAV with integrated folding wing systems. Aerospace Science and Technology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ast.2025.111248

Moica, S., Lucian, T., Kostopoulos, V., & Mostafa, N. A. (2025). GenAI technology approach for sustainable warehouse management operations: A case study from the automotive sector. Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17209081

Tsokanas, P., Santandrea, F., Momm, G. G., Rajčić, V., Skejić, D., Rajnovic, D., da Silva, L. F. M., & Kostopoulos, V. (2025). Certification of adhesively bonded structures: Review and outlook. International Journal of Adhesion and Adhesives. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijadhadh.2025.104041

Bouzoukis, K.-P., Moraitis, G., Kostopoulos, V., & Lappas, V. (2025). An overview of CubeSat missions and applications. Aerospace. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12060550

Nikolaou, E., Karatzas, E., Kilimtzidis, S., & Kostopoulos, V. (2025). Winglet design for class I mini UAV—Aerodynamic and performance optimization. Engineering Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.3390/engproc2025090111

Petropoulos, G. N., Tsokanas, P., Kotrotsos, A., & Kostopoulos, V. (2025). Recycled glass fibre–epoxy composites based on recovered fabrics from an environment-friendly combined solvolysis and thermolysis route. Composites Science and Technology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111048

Yuxuan Zhu | Chemical Engineering | Best Researcher Award

Published on by Scientist Day

Mr. Yuxuan Zhu | Chemical Engineering | Best Researcher Award

Mr. Yuxuan Zhu | The Institute of Seawater Desalination and Multipurpose Utilization | China

Zhu Yuxuan is a dedicated early-career researcher specializing in electrocatalytic membrane water treatment, nano-carbon membrane engineering, and advanced materials for environmental purification. Currently a PhD candidate in Materials Chemistry at Tiangong University, a Double First-Class institution, she has built strong interdisciplinary expertise through studies spanning electrocatalysis, membrane science, wastewater treatment, and chemical engineering principles. She previously earned her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from Shandong Jianzhu University, where she developed foundational skills in materials characterization, nanomaterials, and electrochemical functional materials. Zhu has made significant scholarly contributions with 9 research publications, achieving measurable academic impact with 38 citations from 26 citing documents and an h-index of 4. Many of her works are published as first author in high-ranking JCR Q1 TOP journals such as Chemical Engineering Journal, Separation and Purification Technology, and Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering. Her research focuses on developing nano-conductive carbon membranes, transition-metal-sulfide composite electrodes, and electrocatalytically enhanced membrane separation systems for industrial wastewater treatment. She has also contributed to major national scientific initiatives, including the National Key R&D Program and the Jiangxi Provincial Key R&D Program, where she played central roles in method development, team coordination, and project reporting. Her innovation capacity is reflected in five authorized patents, spanning porous carbon composite materials, electrode technologies, and laboratory device designs. She has earned multiple honors, including the Excellent Report Award at the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Membrane Forum, university scholarships, and several provincial awards in innovation competitions. Technically, Zhu is proficient in SEM, Raman, IR, LC-MS, UV-Vis, electrochemistry, molecular dynamics, and MS simulation. As a student leader—serving as Chairman of the Student Union—she has demonstrated strong organizational and communication skills.

Profile: Orcid | Scopus

Featured Publications

Zhu, Y., Wu, Y., Zhao, H., Wang, H., Lei, H., & Zhong, Y. (2026). Mediation of superoxide radicals enhances the efficient degradation of dimethylacetamide in continuous flow-through three-dimensional electrochemical membrane reactor. Separation and Purification Technology, 506, 135619. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2025.135619

Wang, Y., Chen, Z., Zhu, Y., Wang, H., Cui, Z., Li, X., Mo, J., & Li, J. (2025). An ultrathin Al2O3 ceramic membrane prepared by organic-inorganic blending with solvent evaporation and high-temperature sintering for highly efficient oil/water separation. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 107116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.107116

Wang, Y., Zhu, Y., Wang, H., Chen, Z., He, B., & Li, J. (2025). Conductive carbon/Al2O3 mixed-matrix membrane cathode for efficient electrocatalytic production of H2O2. Separation and Purification Technology, 134120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2025.134120

Zhu, Y., Chen, Z., Wang, H., Ma, A., & Li, J. (2025). Continuous flow-through electro-Fenton membrane reactor with Fe−N4-doped carbon membrane as cathode for efficient removal of dimethylacetamide. Separation and Purification Technology, 354, 129290. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2024.129290

Chen, Z., Wang, H., Zhu, Y., Chen, X., Gui, S., Ma, A., & Li, J. (2025). Electrochemical reactor with carbon membrane electrodes for efficient phenol removal via anode and cathode synergism. npj Clean Water, 8, Article 43. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-024-00432-4

Zhu, Y., Feng, Y., Wang, H., & Li, J. (2025). Fabrication of nitrogen-doped conductive carbon membranes both as anode for degradation of phenol and as cathode for electro-synthesis of hydrogen peroxide in flow-through electrochemical membrane reactor. Separation and Purification Technology, 359, 130586. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2024.130586

Sungyoung Yoon | Engineering Achievements | Best Researcher Award

Published on by Scientist Day

Dr. Sungyoung Yoon | Engineering Achievements | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Sungyoung Yoon | Samsung Electronics | South Korea

Dr. Sungyoung Yoon is a distinguished plasma engineer specializing in the development of advanced plasma devices for semiconductor manufacturing. He currently serves as a Principal Engineer at Samsung Electronics, where he leads innovations in remote plasma sources (RPS), PECVD plasma uniformity control, and selective etching processes for next-generation V-NAND and 3D memory devices. He earned his Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering with a focus on plasma physics and engineering from Seoul National University, where his research explored hydroxyl radical generation mechanisms in electrolyte streamer discharges. His academic foundation and technical expertise have driven a prolific career bridging plasma diagnostics, numerical modeling, and applied plasma engineering. Before joining Samsung, Dr. Yoon worked as a Senior Researcher at the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (KFE) and as a Postdoctoral Associate at Seoul National University, where he contributed to projects involving plasma chemistry, optical diagnostics, and radical generation for industrial and biomedical applications. Dr. Yoon has authored SCI-indexed publications in leading journals such as Plasma Sources Science and Technology, Scientific Reports, and Physical Review Plasmas, and holds over a dozen international patents across Korea, the U.S., Taiwan, and China. His recent research explores metamaterials for plasma control, phase-controlled etching, and dual-frequency plasma systems.

Profile: Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Yoon, S.-Y., Jeon, H., Yi, C., Park, S., Ryu, S., & Kim, S. B. (2018). Mutual interaction between plasma characteristics and liquid properties in AC-driven pin-to-liquid discharge. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 12037. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-30466-9

Kang, K. A., Ryu, Y. S., Piao, M. J., Shilnikova, K., Kang, H. K., Yi, J. M., Boulanger, M., … Yoon, S.-Y., … Hyun, J. W. (2018). DUOX2-mediated production of reactive oxygen species induces epithelial mesenchymal transition in 5-fluorouracil resistant human colon cancer cells. Redox Biology, 17, 224–235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2018.04.008

Baek, K. H., Yong, H. I., Yoo, J. H., Kim, J. W., Byeon, Y. S., Lim, J., Yoon, S.-Y., Ryu, S., & Jo, C. (2020). Antimicrobial effects and mechanism of plasma activated fine droplets produced from arc discharge plasma on planktonic Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157:H7. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 53(12), 124002. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6463/ab6cb0

Lee, J. Y., Kim, K. H., Park, S. Y., Yoon, S.-Y., Kim, G. H., Lee, Y. M., Rhyu, I. C., & Seol, Y. J. (2019). The bactericidal effect of an atmospheric-pressure plasma jet on Porphyromonas gingivalis biofilms on sandblasted and acid-etched titanium discs. Journal of Periodontal & Implant Science, 49(5), 319–329. https://doi.org/10.5051/jpis.2019.49.5.319

Kang, K. A., Piao, M. J., Eom, S., Yoon, S.-Y., Ryu, S., Kim, S. B., Yi, J. M., & Hyun, J. W. (2020). Non-thermal dielectric-barrier discharge plasma induces reactive oxygen species by epigenetically modifying the expression of NADPH oxidase family genes in keratinocytes. Redox Biology, 37, 101698. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2020.101698