Three NanoSI faculty members received prestigious early-career honors during the 2025–2026 academic year, recognizing their contributions and emerging leadership across microsystems, biomedical technologies, photonics and quantum engineering.
The Institute for NanoSystems Innovation (NanoSI) is proud to celebrate Benyamin Davaji, Soner Sonmezoglu and Sunil Mittal, whose recent awards recognize both the impact of their research and their potential to shape the future of their respective fields.
Sunil Mittal, Soner Sonmezoglu, and Benyamin Davaji
Benyamin Davaji | 2026 Hilton Head Rising Star of Microsystems Award
Benyamin Davaji, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, received the 2026 Hilton Head Rising Star of Microsystems Award.
Presented as part of the Hilton Head Workshop on the science and technology of solid-state sensors, actuators and microsystems, the award recognizes outstanding early-career faculty emerging as leaders in microsystems research. Recipients are recognized for their technical contributions as well as their potential for sustained impact and leadership within the microsystems community.
Davaji’s research at Northeastern spans microsystems, sensors and advanced technologies at the intersection of micro- and nanoscale engineering.
Soner Sonmezoglu | NIH Trailblazer Award
Soner Sonmezoglu, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, received an NIH Trailblazer Award for his work developing new technology for MRI-guided interventions.
His project, “Fully Integrated Electro-Optic Sensor for Real-Time MRI Guided Interventions,” combines advances in nanofabrication and optics to develop a clinical-grade electro-optic sensor capable of real-time position tracking of devices with virtually zero radio-frequency-induced heating under MRI.
The research could help enable safer and more precise technologies for procedures performed under real-time MRI guidance.
Sunil Mittal | NSF CAREER Award
Sunil Mittal, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, received a prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER Award for his project, “On-Chip Coupled Resonator Arrays for Generating Unconventional Classical and Quantum Optical Frequency Combs (CRAYONS).”
Mittal’s research seeks to create a new class of optical frequency combs using on-chip coupled resonator arrays. The approach could enable application-specific frequency-comb engineering with substantially improved efficiency and agile tunability, advancing opportunities across classical and quantum photonics.
Celebrating NanoSI’s Early-Career Researchers
Together, these recognitions reflect the breadth of research taking place across NanoSI—from microsystems and biomedical sensing to integrated photonics and quantum technologies.
They also underscore the growing impact of NanoSI’s early-career faculty as they develop technologies that bridge fundamental scientific discovery and real-world applications.
Congratulations to Benyamin Davaji, Soner Sonmezoglu and Sunil Mittal on these well-deserved recognitions.