Dr. James Utama Surjadi

Dr. James Utama Surjadi will join the National University of Singapore (NUS) in May 2026 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering under the Presidential Young Professorship (PYP) scheme. He is currently is a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He earned his B.Eng. in Mechatronic Engineering (First Class Honors, 2017) and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (2022) from the City University of Hong Kong, where he was one of three recipients of the University’s Outstanding Doctoral Research Award. His research bridges mechanics, materials science, and advanced manufacturing, focusing on the design, modeling, fabrication, and characterization of multiscale (nano-to-macro) metamaterials that unite exceptional mechanical robustness with multifunctional performance. Beyond academia, Surjadi is a co-founder of Super Bamboo Ltd., a sustainable materials startup featured in Cleantech 50 to Watch list (2024). His research contributions have recently been recognized through the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list (2025, Healthcare & Science).