GE Qi

GE Qi is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering at Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, China. He joined SUSTech in June 2019 after serving as Assistant Professor at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and as Postdoctoral Research Fellow at MIT and University of Colorado at Boulder.

• Education
  • Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder, USA (2009–2012)
  • M.Sc. in Solid Mechanics, Zhejiang University, China (2006–2008)
  • B.Sc. in Engineering Mechanics, Tongji University, China (2002–2006)

Dr. Ge’s research integrates additive manufacturing with soft-matter mechanics, focusing on 4D printing, functional 3D printing, mechanics of soft materials, intelligent materials, soft robotics, and flexible electronics. His work pioneers shape-memory polymers, self-healing materials, reprocessable thermosets, and mechanical metamaterials, bridging fundamental mechanics with scalable manufacturing technologies.

His 50+ publications in journals such as Science, Nature Communications, Advanced Materials, PRL, and JMPS showcase a trajectory from ultra-light metamaterials to programmable soft actuators, reflecting a shift from structural optimization to multifunctional, stimuli-responsive systems.

Scientific & Academic Awards

• 2020 Microsystems and Nanoengineering (MINE) Outstanding Speaker Award
• 2019 Guangdong Pearl River Talents Program – High-Level Talent
• 2019 Shenzhen Overseas High-Caliber Personnel (Level B)
• 2018 IAAM Young Scientist Medal
• 2013 Outstanding Ph.D. Dissertation Award
• 2012 & 2011 ASME Haythornthwaite Foundation Travel Awards

As Principal Investigator, Dr. Ge has secured over 3.5 million SGD (~18 million RMB) in competitive grants while at SUTD and continues to lead multiple projects at SUSTech. He serves on editorial boards (Polymers and Actuators) and as a long-time reviewer for Nature, Science Advances, Nano Letters, and JMPS.

His laboratory at SUSTech focuses on next-generation additive manufacturing platforms, integrating high-resolution digital light processing, chemo-mechanical modeling, and soft-robotic applications to advance programmable materials and sustainable manufacturing.