ChangHee Son, Ph.D.

Biography

Dr. ChangHee Son is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Texas Tech University. His research focuses on functional materials, soft microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), soft robotics, flexible electronics, and advanced manufacturing. By integrating stimuli-responsive materials, microfabrication, and mechanics, he develops adaptive systems for robotics, biomedical devices, and next-generation electronic platforms. Dr. Son earned his Ph.D. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), where he pioneered shape memory polymer dry adhesives for soft robotics, advanced transfer printing, and soft microsystems. His work has been published in leading journals, including Nature Communications, ACS Nano, and ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, and has resulted in multiple U.S. patents in smart adhesives and soft robotic technologies. He is committed to advancing multifunctional materials and scalable manufacturing approaches for future soft and intelligent microsystems.

Research Interests

• Soft Microelectromechanical Systems (Soft MEMS)
• Smart Functional Materials
• Soft Robotics
• Flexible and Stretchable Electronics
• Biomedical Devices
• Microfabrication and Advanced Manufacturing
• Stimuli-Responsive Materials
• Transfer Printing and Heterogeneous Integration

Personal Information

Education

• Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2023
• M.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2019
• B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Korea University, 2017