Chris Zegras, a professor at MIT's Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP), has been appointed as the chief executive officer and director of the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), effective September 1. Zegras succeeds Bruce Tidor, professor of biological engineering and computer science, who has served as interim CEO since January 2025. Established in collaboration with the National Research Foundation of Singapore in 2007, SMART is MIT’s only research center outside the United States. It serves as a key platform for collaboration between MIT and Singapore’s research ecosystem, uniting leading experts and institutions from the United States, Singapore, and the region for world-class research and innovation. MIT’s provost, Anantha Chandrakasan, stated, "Professor Zegras brings a distinguished track record of interdisciplinary leadership and a deep understanding of SMART’s mission and impact." He emphasized that Zegras’ appointment reinforces MIT’s commitment to the alliance, which has advanced innovation and driven global impact, especially in the face of accelerating technological and global change.
Zegras joined MIT in 2005 and has been the head of DUSP since 2020. His research spans critical areas for addressing metropolitan mobility challenges, leveraging computational technologies to understand and model human behaviors, and enhancing strategic planning capabilities. With extensive experience in interdisciplinary research and leadership, Zegras has a long-standing connection to SMART, where he led collaborative research on next-generation mobility sensing and simulation systems. From 2010 to 2020, he was a principal investigator for the Future Urban Mobility interdisciplinary research group, serving as its lead principal investigator from 2016 to 2020. During this time, the group spearheaded Singapore’s first public autonomous vehicle trials, developed large-scale urban simulation and visualization systems, and conducted research that evolved into spinoff companies, among other activities.
"SMART has established itself as a unique hub for interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation that addresses pressing societal issues," Zegras stated. "Having experienced firsthand what this distinctive model can achieve, I look forward to building on this strong foundation to deepen collaboration, strengthen our innovation ecosystem, and accelerate the translation of research into meaningful real-world impact." SMART is built around interdisciplinary research groups, all headed by senior MIT faculty members. Currently, there are six groups focused on antimicrobial resistance; the use of living cells as personalized medicines to treat and prevent diseases; social and institutional challenges arising from the proliferation of AI and emerging technologies; new agricultural technologies; wafer-scale 3D sensing technologies; and wearable ultrasound imaging. SMART is also home to the SMART Innovation Center, which aims to get research ideas from lab to market.
Blogger's Review: The appointment of Zegras signifies a deepening of collaboration between MIT and Singapore, especially in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. SMART's role as an innovation hub is becoming increasingly vital, and I look forward to seeing how Zegras can lead SMART to create a greater global impact through interdisciplinary research.