Member Communities

Yang Weng is a Project Researcher at the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo. He received the Ph.D. degree in Environmental Science from the Department of Ocean Technology, Policy and Environment, The University of Tokyo, in 2022. From 2018 to 2019, he was a Visiting Student with the Photonics Laboratory at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia, and from 2019 to 2020, he was a Visiting Researcher at the Intelligent Autonomous Systems Laboratory, TU Darmstadt, Germany. In 2025, he was a Visiting Researcher at the Robot Learning Laboratory, Aalto University, Finland.

His research interests include underwater wireless optical communication, reinforcement learning, and autonomous underwater vehicles.

I am honoredto be selected as an IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society (OES)Young Professional (YP) Ambassador for 2025–2026.Currently pursuing aPh.D. at IIT Madras, my research focuses on Floating Structural Concepts withMooring and Riser Systems, with a thesis on “Ship-Shaped FPSO withAsymmetric Mooring and Riser System for Deep and Ultradeep Water.” Myacademic journey includes a master’s degree with honors from ACGCET, Karaikudi, and abachelor’s degree from UCE Pattukkottai, Anna University. My research interests spanstructural analysis, fluid-structure interactions, and sustainable ocean engineering solutions.

I hold key leadership roles, including Chair of the IEEE OES IIT Madras Student Branch Chapter, Vice Chair of the IEEE IIT Madras Student Branch, Chair of the MTS IIT Madras Student Section, and President of the IAHR Southern-India Young Professionals Network (IAHR SI YPN). Through these roles, I promote collaboration, professional networking, and technical growth. As part of the YP
Ambassador program, I aim to foster active participation, drive innovation, and mentor young professionals to contribute to sustainable advancements in ocean engineering.

Jane Shin is an Assistant Professor in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at the University of Florida. She received her M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University and a B.S. in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering from Seoul National University. During her Ph.D., she was selected as a Commercialization Fellow at Cornell in 2020, highlighting her ability to translate research into impactful applications.

Her expertise lies in autonomous systems, robotics, and active perception, with a particular focus on addressing uncertainties in perception caused by complex and challenging environmental conditions. Specializing in underwater robotics, her research combines information-theoretic approaches for active perception and multi-modal sensing in applications such as underwater object recognition and long-horizon navigation. She aims to advance planning and perception algorithms through her work, enhancing the performance and reliability of autonomous systems operating in dynamic and uncertain environments.

I am grateful and excited to have been selected as one of the IEEE OES YP Ambassadors for 2025–2026. I hold a BSc from the University of Paderborn in Germany and an MSc and PhD from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, UK. My continued research interests focus on the fluid dynamics of unsteady fish swimming, as well as the design and control of modular and bio-inspired marine robotics.

My journey with IEEE OES began in 2019 as the webmaster for the Student Branch Chapter at the University of Strathclyde, where I also supported outreach events, co-authored an IEEE OES Beacon article, and represented the SBC at the OCEANS Conference in Seattle. I am excited to collaborate with the IEEE OES community through the YP Ambassador Programme. I hope to support student SBCs and inspire future talent while making valuable contributions at OCEANS Conferences, within technical committees, and by championing initiatives like the Ocean Decade.

As a dual British and German citizen, I strongly believe in the power of international collaboration and community to tackle global challenges and achieve common goals.

Past YP Ambassadors: