Tianyu was born in a small city in Central China. He grew up near the Yangtze river but never learned to swim. Tianyu obtained his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Science and Technology of China. He joined the Ertekin Group as a Ph.D. student in the Fall of 2019. He is interested in simulation and modeling of complex materials which provide insight into solving real-world problems. His research is now focused on applying atomic simulation to study hydrogen embrittlement, especially the interaction between hydrogen and short-range order in austenitic stainless steels. During his free time, he loves cooking and playing basketball.