Neal Hall

Neal Hall is an Associate Professor and Temple Foundation Endowed Faculty Fellow in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. His research focuses on silicon micromachined acoustic transducers, integrating photonics and MEMS for advanced sensing systems. He leads the Texas Acoustics Group and Microelectronics Research Center (MRC), with applications spanning hypersonic flight, CO2 storage monitoring, and bio-inspired microphone design.

• Education: B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (UT Austin, 1999), M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (Georgia Tech, 2002 & 2004)

His research combines MEMS fabrication, optical interferometry, and acoustic signal processing to develop extreme-environment sensors. Notable projects include fire-resistant microphones, Europa-bound seismic sensors, and CO2 storage telemetry systems. Recent publications emphasize silicon photonics and piezoelectric materials for ultrasonic and infrasonic applications.

Scientific awards include the ONR Young Investigator Award (2014), DARPA Young Faculty Award (2012), and Regents Outstanding Teaching Award (2014). His lab has spun off Silicon Audio, Inc., commercializing high-dynamic-range seismometers and acoustic sensors.