Three ENG faculty named William Fairfield Warren Professors
On September 23, Boston University President Melissa Gilliam and Provost Colin Duckett announced five new William Fairfield Warren professorships, three of whom are ENG faculty: David Boas, Ji-Xin Cheng, and Xin Zhang. Established in 2008, the professorship, named after the University’s first president, is awarded to senior faculty members who remain actively involved in research, […]
Can We Train AI to Read an MRI?
The BU team’s smarter AI system for evaluating brain scan images might someday help clinicians spot diseases sooner, saving lives while cutting costs.
Zhang Elected 2026 ASME Honorary Member
Boston University Distinguished Professor of Engineering Xin Zhang (ME, ECE, BME, MSE) has been elected a 2026 Honorary Member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), one of the Society’s highest honors. First awarded in 1880, the year ASME was founded, Honorary Membership recognizes a lifetime of distinguished contributions to engineering and society. No […]
Xin Zhang Makes “World Changing Ideas” List for Second Straight Year
Zhang’s technology, which the magazine named a 2026 “World-Changing Idea,” could make air conditioners, airplanes, and data centers quieter.
A History of Innovation at Boston University
In the 150 years since a BU professor invented the telephone, plenty of other BU-bred inventions have made profound and lasting impacts across society.
Time names Zhang’s Wireless MRI Coils an Invention of the Year
Time magazine has named Distinguished Professor Xin Zhang’s (ME, ECE, BME, MSE) wireless MRI Coils to its list of the “Best Inventions of 2025.”
Xin Zhang, James Galagan Recognized for World-Changing Ideas
The engineering professors’ inventions made the 2025 Fast Company list.
This Smarter Sound Shield Blocks More Noise—Without Blocking Air
The breakthrough was made possible through the use of phase-gradient metamaterials.
Thomas A. Edison Patent Award for Xin Zhang
Zhang is being recognized for her pioneering contributions to the field of metamaterials.
Color Meets Bio-inspired Metamaterials
Diatoms, which are microscopic unicellular algae often referred to as “jewels of the sea” and “living opals,” have a fascinating nanoscale porous structure on their silica exoskeletons called frustules. These structures display vibrant colors and intricate patterns. In work featured on the cover of Advanced Materials, Xin Zhang, Xiaohang Xie, and their collaborators utilized the […]