K Jimmy Hsia

K. Jimmy Hsia is President Chair Professor in Mechanical Engineering at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore, holding dual appointments in the School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering and School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering. He currently serves as Vice President (Alumni & International Affairs) at NTU, a position he assumed in January 2020, after previously serving as Founding Dean of Graduate College since 2018.

Dr. Hsia received his B.S. from Tsinghua University, M.S. from Beijing University of Aeronautics, and Ph.D. from MIT. His interdisciplinary research bridges engineering and biology with focus areas including material failure and fracture, soft robotics, micro-nanomechanics, cellular mechanics, and biomedical device development. His work appears in top journals including PNAS, Science Advances, Advanced Materials, and Nano Letters, with over 100 peer-reviewed publications and two Springer-published books.

Hsia's research demonstrates a clear trajectory toward bio-integrated mechanical systems, with recent publications emphasizing the intersection of mechanics, biology, and advanced materials. His work on self-assembly mechanisms, organ-on-chip technology, and responsive materials represents cutting-edge interdisciplinary research with significant potential applications in biomedicine and soft robotics.

• Fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
• Fellow of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
• Fellow of American Institute for Medical & Biological Engineering (AIMBE)
• US National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Initiation Award
• Max-Planck Society Scholarship
• Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS) Fellowship

Before joining NTU, Dr. Hsia held significant leadership positions including Vice Provost for International Programs and Strategy at Carnegie Mellon University, and W. Grafton and Lillian B. Wilkins Professor at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he served as Associate Dean of Graduate College and Associate Vice Chancellor for Research. His extensive administrative experience complements his research leadership as Founding Director of Nano and Bio Mechanics Program at NSF (2005-2007) and Founding co-Editor-in-Chief of Extreme Mechanics Letters.