Chao Ma

Chao Ma has enjoyed making things since he was a child. This made a career in manufacturing a logical choice. Today, he enjoys the significant role manufacturing plays in the world.

“We can rely on advanced manufacturing to produce higher-performance products that make our world a better place,” he says. “For example, I am interested in products for carbon capture and utilization that alleviate climate change.”

Now beginning a role as an associate professor of manufacturing engineering in the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, Ma was drawn to the opportunity to work at a school that is the first in the United States to offer bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in manufacturing engineering.

“The School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks is becoming a premier destination for manufacturing engineering,” Ma says. “As a researcher and educator in manufacturing engineering, I want to be part of this excitement.”

He is looking forward to contributing to the growth of the Fulton Schools’ manufacturing engineering programs as well as conducting impactful research. 

“I am excited to conduct convergent research on additive manufacturing of porous structures for carbon capture and utilization by leveraging ASU’s strength in sustainability,” he says.

He has received a grant from the National Science Foundation Partnerships for Innovation program to start this research. At ASU, he also plans to participate in more entrepreneurial activities, utilizing ASU’s strengths in innovation and commercialization. 

Ma previously held faculty positions at Texas A&M University for the past seven years. There, his research on powder preparation and compaction for a particular type of ceramic additive manufacturing earned him a prestigious NSF Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) Award in 2021.

His work has also been recognized with an SME Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Best Organizer of Symposium & Sessions Award, underscoring his excellent contributions to the manufacturing field.

Ma also brings experience working as a senior mechanical engineer at semiconductor equipment manufacturer ASML. 

Students in his MFG 482 Materials Science in Manufacturing class will learn the underlying physics of a range of manufacturing processes. 

“I look forward to working with students with a strong motivation to learn about the excitement that materials science brings to manufacturing,” Ma says.

Outside of engineering, Ma enjoys fishing and rock climbing.

Meet the newest faculty members of the Fulton Schools of Engineering here.

Written by Monique Clement