Luisa Chiesa Leads Tufts Mechanical Engineering Department

The superconducting materials expert assumed the role of department chair at the Medford-based engineering school.

Updated on Oct. 22, 2026 in Materials Science

A close-up view of a precision laboratory rig designed for mechanical material stress testing on thin metal ribbons. — Tufts University has appointed superconducting materials researcher Luisa Chiesa to serve as chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Luisa Chiesa officially began her term as the chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Tufts School of Engineering on September 1, 2026. A faculty member since 2009, she continues her work leading research into the mechanical behavior of superconducting materials.

Why it matters

Her appointment aligns with the department's focus on material performance and structural analysis. Chiesa also serves as the president of the IEEE Council on Superconductivity, a position she has held since 2025.

Low-temperature superconductors require cooling to 4.2 kelvin, while high-temperature versions operate at 77 kelvin. Researchers in the lab test ribbons carrying 200 to 300 amperes where the superconductor accounts for 1% of the cross section.

The players

Luisa Chiesa

She is the newly appointed chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Tufts School of Engineering and president of the IEEE Council on Superconductivity.

Tufts School of Engineering

This institution is a leading academic and research center located in Medford, Massachusetts.

IEEE Council on Superconductivity

This professional organization coordinates superconducting technology research and standards across the global scientific community.

The details

Chiesa focuses on testing superconducting ribbons by applying mechanical forces through stretching, bending, and twisting. Her team utilizes finite element analysis to simulate magnet behavior and is currently investigating whether microphones can detect when a superconductor turns resistive.

2001: Luisa Chiesa graduated from the University of Milan.
2009: Luisa Chiesa joined the faculty at Tufts.
2025: Chiesa became president of the IEEE Council on Superconductivity.
September 1, 2026: Chiesa became mechanical engineering chair at Tufts.

The Big Picture

Chiesa's work on superconducting magnet integrity bridges critical gaps for large-scale physics infrastructure like the 27-kilometer ring of the Large Hadron Collider. Her leadership shifts the department toward integrating advanced material testing into practical structural applications.

The mechanical testing of superconducting ribbons may eventually lead to more stable magnets for advanced medical imaging or power grid technologies. Improved material reliability can lower operating costs for infrastructure requiring liquid nitrogen or helium cooling.

The takeaway

Advancements in superconducting materials rely heavily on understanding how ribbons perform under significant physical stress and heat. Researchers looking to replicate these results should monitor future publications from the Tufts lab regarding acoustic detection methods.