Materials Horizons Emerging Investigator Series: Dr Gloria Zhang, New Mexico State University, United States

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Abstract

Our Emerging Investigator Series features exceptional work by early-career researchers working in the field of materials science.

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Dr Gloria Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1596-4905) is an assistant professor in the Civil Engineering department at NMSU. She earned her PhD from the University of Pittsburgh in 2022, complemented by a master's degree from the University of Southern California and a bachelor's degree from Wuhan University of Technology in China. Her research focuses on developing a new generation of multifunctional material and structural systems. Her research covers different important aspects related to smart materials and structures including sensing, monitoring, energy harvesting, actuation, 3D printed smart materials and structures, and machine learning-driven frameworks for material discoveries.

Read Gloria Zhang's Emerging Investigator Series article ‘Digital shape-morphing thermo-mechanical metamaterials’ (https://doi.org/10.1039/D5MH02021B) and read more about her in the interview below:

MH: Your recent Materials Horizons Communication introduces digital shape-morphing thermo-mechanical metamaterials capable of sensing thermal and mechanical stimuli, deploying and adapting through shape morphing, and performing digital computation. How has your research evolved from your first article to this most recent article and where do you see your research going in future?

GZ: My long-term vision is to develop materials endowed with self-awareness and cognitive functionality, enabling autonomous systems to be realized from a materials-centric perspective. My scholarly passion lies in the design of multifunctional materials and structures, with a focus on mechanical metamaterials (MMs). My ongoing research explores the adaptability of MMs under complex and dynamic conditions, which aims to create materials that exhibit lifelike, responsive behavior, and mimicking of biological systems.

MH: What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?

GZ: As the fields of robotics, human–machine interfaces, micro/nano-electromechanical systems, and flexible electronics progress, there is a need for material autonomy, where materials themselves can sense, respond, adapt, and even make decisions without external control. Autonomous materials and structures possess advanced functionalities such as sensing, actuation, self-healing, communication, and computation, enabling a closed-loop sense–decide–respond feedback mechanism. These capabilities are foundational for transformative applications in the future.

MH: In your opinion, what are the most important questions to be asked/answered in this field of research?

GZ: How can we bridge the gap between isolated material functionalities and system-level performance, thereby broadening the applicability of intelligent materials in real-world scenarios.

MH: In which upcoming conferences or events may our readers meet you?

GZ: ASCE EMI 2026.

MH: How do you spend your spare time?

GZ: Reading and cooking.

MH: Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

GZ: Be hardworking, passionate and creative.

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