Xin Zhang (engineer)
Xin Zhang is a professor of mechanical engineering, electrical & computer engineering, biomedical engineering, materials science & engineering, and the Photonics Center at Boston University (BU). Education. Zhang received her Ph.D. from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) in mechanical engineering. She was a postdoctoral researcher and then a research scientist with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Career. Zhang joined the faculty of Boston University in 2002, and became Inaugural Distinguished Faculty Fellow in 2009, an honor given to tenured engineering faculty at Boston University who is on a clear trajectory toward exemplary leadership career  in all dimensions of science and engineering. Research. Zhang leads the Laboratory for Microsystems Technology (LMST) at Boston University that focuses on the broad areas of metamaterial technologies and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS or microsystems). Professional Memberships. Zhang is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), American Physical Society (APS), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), National Academy of Inventors (NAI), and The Optical Society (OSA), and associate fellow of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Honors, Awards and  Special Recognitions. In 2016, Zhang was selected as the recipient of the "IEEE Sensors Council Technical Achievement Award" (advanced career) for distinguished contributions to sensors and sensing technologies. In 2018, Zhang was selected as the recipient of the "Charles DeLisi Award and Distinguished Lecture", an honor recognizing faculty at Boston University who has made outstanding contributions to engineering and society. In 2018, Zhang's translational research has earned her "Innovator of the Year Award", bestowed annually by Boston University on a faculty member who "translates his/her world-class research into inventions and innovations that benefit humankind." In 2019, Zhang  won the "Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Innovation Award" (Emerging Technology Design). "The award celebrates the most pioneering engineering and technology innovations from energy and sustainability to transport and healthcare." In 2019, Zhang was named " Fellow of National Academy of Inventors", "who has demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society." In 2020, Zhang became the "Finalist of IET Achievement Medal", "who has made major and distinguished contributions in the various sectors of engineering and technology." In 2020 , Zhang became "Invented Here! Honoree", chosen by Boston Patent Law Association for the patent entitled "Apparatus for improving magnetic resonance imaging." Recently, Zhang's research on metamaterial technologies, both those that enable highly efficient, air-permeable sound silencing and noise reduction and those that markedly boosts MRI signal-to-noise ratio and thus significantly improves the performance of MRI, have drawn significant worldwide interest from the scientific community and industry, with the stories having been picked up by 200+ media outlets. Education and Outreach. Zhang is Director of both the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU ) Site and Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) Site in Integrated Nanomanufacturing at Boston University. She also serves as Associate Director of the Boston University Nanotechnology Innovation Center. Among the graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from her lab, several have received tenure-track faculty positions at major research universities, and the rest are established in national labs, major centers and hospitals, and large companies and startups.