Research/Areas of Interest
Hungtang Ko's research focuses on the collective organization of biological collectives and robot swarms in fluid environments. He conducts animal experiments, simulates agent-based models, and designs biomimetic robots to investigate the physical interaction among insect swarms and fish schools. Beyond his core research, his diverse research interests extend to traffic flow, animal biomechanics, and the physics of wok tossing.
**Recruiting new PhD students for admission in Fall 2026**
Education
- Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, United States, 2022
- M.S. in Eng. in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States, 2017
- B.S. in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Fudan University, Shanghai, China, 2015
Biography
Hungtang Ko will join the Mechanical Engineering department as an assistant professor on January 1, 2026. Currently, he is a James McDonnell Foundation (JSMF) Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University. He received a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology (2022), a master's degree in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics from the University of Pennsylvania (2017), and a Bachelor's degree in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics from Fudan University (2015). Ko's innovative research has garnered attention from various international media outlets, including CNN, PRI's The World podcast, and Cosmos magazine.