Yeh-Hung Lai graduated from Virginia Tech in 1994 with a Ph.D. in engineering mechanics, having studied with David Dillard in the area of adhesive and sealant sciences. Lai is now a technical fellow at General Motors, where he has been a leader of research related to the mechanics of fuel cell materials. Inspired by what he learned at Virginia Tech, Lai began a new collaboration with Dillard in 2004 which involved a research team that produced 23 publications and contributed to improving durability in 3 generations of GM’s Hydrotec® fuel cell systems. Lai himself is now an author of 57 academic papers, 3 book chapters and an inventor of 55 US patents.