PNNL

Ji-Guang (Jason) Zhang, an energy storage expert at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), has received a Distinguished Achievement Award from the Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO).

Zhang received the award during VTO’s annual merit review on June 21, 2022. He was honored for his outstanding technical contributions to VTO’s battery research and development activities. Much of Zhang’s research is supported by VTO.

The award is one in a string of honors that Zhang has achieved since joining PNNL in 2007.

He is internationally recognized and widely cited for his pioneering work in developing energy storage devices, including lithium-metal batteries, lithium-ion batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, lithium-air batteries, and thin-film solid-state batteries.

Zhang has published more than 360 papers in professional journals and was named to Clarivate Analytics’ Highly Cited Researcher list in 2015 and 2017–2021.

He is also a Laboratory fellow—a designation reserved for scientists representing three percent of PNNL staff who have established renown, sustaining research and development projects of the highest quality throughout their careers.

Zhang has been granted 36 patents, with more patents pending. In 2018, Zhang was named Distinguished Inventor of Battelle. In 2019 and 2020, Zhang was named PNNL Inventor of the Year—a recognition for significant scientific advancements that have resulted in intellectual property, or the potential to develop into intellectual property.

He is the co-recipient of two prestigious R&D 100 Awards for PNNL’s Graphene Nanostructures for Lithium Batteries and Micro Power Source. He is also a co-recipient of Federal Laboratory Consortium Tech Transfer Innovation Award in 2021.