Xi Chen
918 SW Mudd, Mail Code: 4711
Phone: +1 212-854-3787
Fax: +1 212-854-6267
Email:
Home Page
Office hours: Monday 3-5pm
Research Areas
Mechanobiology, Novel energy absorption and harvesting materials, Nanomechanics, Mechanical self-assembly, Nanoindentation, Thin films and small material structures, Materials addressing challenges in energy and environment, Multi-phase and multi-scale computational mechanics.
B.E. in Engineering Mechanics, 1994, Special Class of Gifted Youth (enrolled at the age of 13) of Xi'an Jiaotong University, China
M.E. in Engineering Mechanics, 1997, Tsinghua University, China
S.M. in Engineering Sciences, 1998, Harvard University
Ph.D. in Solid Mechanics, 2001, Harvard University
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2001-2003, Harvard University
Xi Chen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering. He specializes in the areas of theoretical, computational and experimental Solid Mechanics, with emphasis on various new research frontiers in nanomechanics, biomechanics, energy and environment. His research interests include:
- Mechanobiology, mechanochemistry, and molecular biomechanics of proteins, macromolecules, and cells;
- Mechanics principles of morphogenesis of natural and biological systems;
- Ultrahigh performance materials for energy absorption, harvesting, and actuation based on nanoporous technology;
- Nanomechanics of nanotubes, nanowires, nanoparticles, nanofilms, and nanocomposites;
- Micro- and nanoindentation theory and experiment; Micro- and nanofabrication based on mechanical self-assembly;
- Novel materials and technique addressing the greenhouse effect and efficient use of energy;
- Multiscale, multiphysics and multiphase solid-fluid interactions;
- Mechanics of thin films and small material structures.
He teaches courses in the area of engineering mechanics, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He is a member of the American Academy of Mechanics, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the Materials Research Society.
He received a CAREER Award from NSF in 2007, and a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in 2008 (nominated by NSF), which is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on young scientists.
For more information visit the Web site for the Chen Group of New Frontiers of Engineering Mechanics in nanotechnology/biology/energy.
Publications
Over 140 peer-reviewed journal papers and a h-index over 20 (as of 04/25/2009); selected publications can be found at Professor Chen's Web site.