Dr. Zhu’s long-term goal is to advance nanoscience and nanotechnology by improving the understanding of nanoscale material behavior and exploring the applications of nanomaterials.
At the graduate level, Dr. Zhu teaches Micro/Nano electromechanical Systems (MAE 536) for students interested in the fundamentals and the applications of micro/nano sensors and actuators. His lecture style course includes guest lecturers from industry and academia, and concludes with final projects of teams of 2 to 3 students in which the teams, based on the class material, propose and design micro/nano transducers for their intended applications, and study related scientific issues. Dr. Zhu also teaches Advanced Solid Mechanics (MAE 541), which teaches elasticity theory leading to solution of practical engineering problems concerned with stress and deformation analysis.