The New Frontiers of Sound Science and Technology Center (NewFoS STC) at the University of Arizone has been named Innovator of the Year – Academia at the 2025 Arizona Governor’s Celebration of Innovation. Dr. Yuebing Zheng, a Core Faculty member of TMI and professor in Mechanical Engineering, is part of the collaboration between UT Austin and NewFoS in topological acoustics alongside other partner institutions.
The award was presented on November 12 at Chateau Luxe in Phoenix, where Arizona’s top innovators, business leaders, and educators were recognized for shaping the state’s dynamic innovation ecosystem. “This award recognizes the hard work and commitment to innovation of all NewFoS students, staff, and faculty,” said NewFoS Director Pierre Deymier. Deymier – a faculty member of the BIO5 Institute and the applied mathematics graduate interdisciplinary program – accepted the award with team members Araceli Hernández-Granados, knowledge transfer research scientist, and Lynn Frazier, research manager.
Photo Credits: Mark Goldstein
NewFoS "focuses on the application of the emerging field of topological acoustics to a wide variety of research areas. Topological acoustics allows researchers to observe and exploit properties of sound that were previously invisible, similar to viewing the field with a fresh set of eyes—or, better yet, listening to it with a new pair of ears. Having such precise control over soundwaves could revolutionize areas including computing, telecommunications, and sensing. Quantum-like computing capacity, improved battery life for electronics, and sensing changes in aging infrastructure or the natural environment due to climate change are just a few applications for this growing field." The University of Arizone received a grant from the National Science Foundation in 2023 to establish the center. Other partner institutions include Caltech, CU Boulder, CUNY, Georgia Tech, Spelman College, UCLA, Wayne State University, and the University of Alaksa Fairbanks.
Dr. Zheng's project, "Image based optoacoustic tweezers for versatile manipulation and dynamic pattern of particles," is in collaboration with Xiaoyun Ding of the University of Colorado, Boulder, and Andrea Alu at The City College of New York.
