Occupation
- Crown Family Professor of Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago
- Lead Water Strategist & Senior Scientist at Argonne National Laboratory
Education
- Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Minnesota in 2002
- Postdoctoral scholar in chemical engineering at the California Institute of Technology from 2002 to 2003.
Notable Accomplishments
Dr. Chen currently serves as Co-PI and Use-Inspired R&D Lead for the NSF Great Lakes RENEW Water Innovation Engine, a role he has held since March 1, 2024. Prior to relocating to Chicago, he was a program director for the Engineering Research Centers program at the U.S. National Science Foundation and also directed the NSF Industry–University Cooperative Research Center on Water Equipment & Policy. An entrepreneur and researcher, he founded NanoAffix Science LLC to commercialize real-time water sensors based on 2D nanomaterials. His research centers on advancing nanomaterial innovations for sustainable energy and environmental applications. Dr. Chen has authored more than 320 journal publications and has been recognized by Clarivate Analytics as a Highly Cited Researcher in materials science and cross-disciplinary fields, placing him among the top 1% globally. He is an elected fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the National Academy of Inventors, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.