Structure printed using Nanoscribe at Boston U
Monan Ma, PhD
MEMS Device Engineer at
Boston MicroMachines Corp.
I develop MEMS deformable mirrors for the NASA Habitable Worlds Observatory project (non-technical description available here).
My work focuses on designing, modeling, and precisely measuring MEMS-based optical systems. By targeting ultra-high optical resolution and stability, this technology can help us detect signs of life on distant planets.
I earned my Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Boston University in May 2026. My doctoral work involved hardware and software components and focused on precision metrology using optical and nanoelectromechanical systems, nonlinear MEMS/NEMS and sensor development, multiphysics finite-element models, and physics-informed machine learning.
In summer 2025, I was a graduate intern at the Aramco Research Center in Houston, working with the Robotics and Sensors Development Team, where I developed platforms to monitor non-Newtonian drilling fluids. I earned my M.Sc. and B.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering at Stony Brook University in New York.
Select Awards
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Outstanding Dissertation of the Year Award [2026]
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BUnano Cross-Disciplinary Fellowship - Two-time Awardee [2022-2023 and 2023-2024]
- BU MechE Departmental Distinguished Fellowship [2021-2022]