Hongbin Ma

Hongbin Ma is Chair, Curators’ Distinguished Professor, & Glen A. Barton Professor in the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, and the director of the Multiphysics Energy Research Center (MERC) in the College of Engineering at the University of Missouri (MU). He received his Ph.D. in 1995 from Texas A&M University. Since he joined MU in 1999, he has conducted active research in the fields of phase-change heat transfer, heat pipes, ejector refrigeration, and thermal management. His research has been supported by NSF, ONR, NIH, Intel, Dell, Foxconn, DARPA, Northrop Grumman, and many other federal agencies and private companies. His research work has resulted in more than 320 publications, including 1 book, 8 book chapters, and over 180 refereed journal papers, as well as 23 patentable technologies. The contributions he made are not only in scientific fundamental research but also in engineering applications. His research efforts led to the establishment of both companies ThermAvant Technologies (TAT), where he is cofounder and president, and ThermAvant International (TAI), where he is cofounder and CEO, to further develop and commercialize his research results. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME) and a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).