Background and Education
John holds Ph.D. (2006) and S.M. (2002) degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a B.S.E (2000) degree from the University of Michigan, all in Mechanical Engineering. He has industrial experience in engineering and project management at General Motors, and through various consulting appointments. John received the 2006 MIT Senturia Prize for best doctoral thesis in micro/nano technology, and graduate fellowships from the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation, National Science Foundation, and MIT Martin Foundation. In 2008, John received a DARPA Young Faculty Award (for proposed research on energy harvesting using nanostructures), a R&D100 Award (for the SabreTube Desktop Thermal Processing System), and the Holcim Next Generation Award for Sustainable Construction (with Neri Oxman, for design of energy-saving responsive nanocomposite building skins).
Awards and Honors
- MIT Keenan Award for Innovation in Undergraduate Education | 2018
- MIT Ruth and Joel Spira Award for Distinguished Teaching in Mechanical Engineering | 2017
- 3M Nontenured Faculty Award | 2014
- Best Poster Award, Materials Research Society Fall Meeting | 2014
- Mitsui Career Development Chair, MIT | 2013
- Best Paper Award in Compliant Mechanisms, 37th ASME Mechanisms and Robotics Conference | 2013
- CAREER Award, National Science Foundation | 2012
- 1938E Award, University of Michigan College of Engineering | 2012
- Young Investigator Program (YIP) Award, Office of Naval Research | 2012
- Robert M. Caddell Award in Manufacturing, University of Michigan | 2011
- Young Investigator Program (YIP) Award, Air Force Office of Scientific Research | 2011
- Outstanding Faculty Achievement Award, University of Michigan Mechanical Engineering | 2010
- Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award, Society of Manufacturing Engineers | 2010
- Frontiers of Engineering Attendee, National Academy of Engineering | 2010
- Pi Tau Sigma Gold Medal, American Society of Mechanical Engineers | 2009
- R&D100 Award (Spin-Grower Layer-by-Layer Assembly System) | 2009
- Finalist, MIT Clean Energy Entrepreneurship Prize | 2008
- Young Faculty Award (YFA), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency | 2008
- R&D100 Award (SabreTube Desktop Thermal Processing System) | 2008
- Holcim Next Generation Award for Sustainable Construction | 2008
- MIT Senturia Prize for Outstanding Doctoral Thesis in Micro/Nanosystems | 2006
- Fannie and John Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowship | 2002
- National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship | 2000
- Department Head, Mechanical Engineering, MIT | 2023-Present
- Professor of Mechanical Engineering, MIT | 2020-Present
- Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, MIT | 2013-2020
- Member, Board of Directors, Carpenter Technology Corporation | 2019-Present
- Co-Founder, VulcanForms, Inc. | 2015-Present
- Co-Founder, Desktop Metal, Inc. | 2015-Present
- Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Art/Design, University of Michigan | 2007-2013
- Materials Research Society (MRS)
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
- Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME)
- Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
- American Physical Society (APS)
Technologies
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