Trevor Jones

Trevor J. Jones’ research is broadly interested in the use of soft matter mechanics for the future of manufacturing and robotics. At Carnegie Mellon, Jones leads the Mechanically Intelligent Engineered Structures Laboratory (MInEnS lab) with the aim to transform simple mechanical inputs into the complex assembly and control of materials. Drawing inspiration from both natural phenomena and human expression, he specializes in harnessing the unique mathematical properties of interfacial fluid mechanics, flexible solid mechanics, and granular matter to inform new technologies. While his interests interact with multiple applications (e.g. soft robotics, architecture, medical devices, roll-to-roll manufacturing), the MInEnS lab is curiosity driven by nature and aims to develop core knowledge alongside all technical pursuits.

Jones received his doctorate from Princeton University in 2023 and his bachelor’s from Vanderbilt in 2017, both in chemical engineering. He has been named an AISES Lighting the Pathway Fellow, a Trailblazer in Engineering, and a Rising Star in Soft and Biological Matter. As a tribal citizen of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, Jones aims to complement scientific investigation with indigenous wisdom and arts. He believes in a highly interdisciplinary approach to teaching and research that iterates between observation, crafting, experiments, and theoretical modeling until clear physical understanding emerges.