Faculty DirectoryWei Chen
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Chair and Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Wilson-Cook Professor in Engineering Design
Contact
2145 Sheridan RoadL293
Evanston, IL 60208-3109
847-491-7019Email Wei Chen
Website
Integrated Design Automation Lab
Departments
Affiliations
Education
PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
MS in Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX
BS in Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiatong University, China
Research Interests
Simulation-based design under uncertainty; AI and machine learning for predictive science and engineering design; uncertainty quantification in multiscale analysis; data-driven design of heterogenous nano- and microstructural materials and programmable metamaterials; digital twins and design for advanced manufacturing; topology optimization; multidisciplinary design optimization; network analysis for modeling consumer preference and decision-based design.
Dr. Chen is the Director of the Integrated Design Automation Laboratory (IDEAL) and the Founding Director of the Predictive Science and Engineering Design (PSED) Cluster. Her current research involves the use of statistical inference, machine learning, and uncertainty quantification techniques for adaptive discovery and design of a wide range of emerging materials systems, by integrating knowledge and representation from multiple disciplines and domains such as materials, manufacturing, structural mechanics, data science, and design optimization. Her research methods have been integrated into commercial software and making direct societal impacts through industrial collaborations and applications in developing multifunctional, lightweight, portable, energy efficient, and sustainable materials, products and processes.
Significant Recognition
- Member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAA&S), elected 2024
- NSF BRITE Fellow, for research on “AI-Enabled Discovery and Design of Programmable Material Systems”, 2023
- Engineering Science Medal, Society of Engineering Science, 2022
- Charles Russ Richards Memorial Award, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and Pi Tau Sigma, 2021, to recognize outstanding achievement by an individual who graduated in mechanical engineering more than 20 years ago.
- Member of National Academy of Engineering (NAE), elected 2019
- Robert E. Abbott Award, ASME Design Engineering Division (DED), 2019
- Ver Steeg Faculty Award, The Graduate School, Northwestern University, 2018
- Design Automation Award, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Design Engineering Division, 2015
- Best Paper Award, ASME Design Automation Conference, 1998, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2019, and 2022
- Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), 2009
- Ralph R. Teetor Education Award, Society of Automotive Engineering, 2006
- National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Award, 1996 - 2001
- ASME Pi Tau Sigma Gold Medal achievement award, 1998, to recognize outstanding achievement by an individual who graduated in mechanical engineering more than 10 years ago.
- Sigma Xi Doctoral Dissertation Award, Georgia Tech Chapter, 1996
Significant Professional Service
- Elected Member, ASME Mechanical Engineering Department Heads Executive Committee (MEDHEC), 2022-2024.
- Member, National Academies' Board on Mathematical Sciences and Analytics, 2020-present.
- Past President (2023-2027) and President (2019-2023), International Society of Structural & Multidisciplinary Optimization (ISSMO)
- Editor-in-Chief, ASME Journal of Mechanical Design (2018-2022)
- Senior Advisor of Editorial Board, Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization
- Associate Editor, Design Science
- Elected Member, Executive Committee of ASME Design Engineering Division (2009-2015); Chair (2013-2014)
- Elected Member, Advisory Board of the Design Society (2007-2013)
- Associate Editor, ASME Journal of Mechanical Design (2003-2006; 2010-2013)
- Associate Editor, SIAM/ASA Journal on Uncertainty Quantification (JUQ) (2015-2017)
- Department Editor, IIE Transactions (Department on “Design Engineering and Product Realization) (2014-2017)
- Associate Editor, Engineering Optimization (2007-2009)
- Associate Editor, Journal of Design and Manufacturing Automation (2000-2003)
Selected Publications
Karkaria, V., Goeckner, A., Zha, R., Chen, J., Zhang, J., Zhu, Q., Cao, J., Gao, R.X. and Chen, W. Towards a Digital Twin Framework in Additive Manufacturing: Machine Learning and Bayesian Optimization for Time Series Process Optimization. Journal of Manufacturing Systems. (2024).
Chen, Y-P, Wang, L., Comlek, Y. and Chen, W., “A Latent Variable Approach for Non-Hierarchical Multi-Fidelity Adaptive Sampling”, CMAME, 421, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cma.2024.116773.
Lee, D., Zhang, L., Yu, Y., and Chen, W., "Deep Neural Operator Enabled Concurrent Multitask Design for Multifunctional Metamaterials under Heterogeneous Fields", Journal Advanced Optical Materials, DOI: 10.1002/adom.202303087, 2024.
Lee, D., Chen, W.W., Wang, L., Chan, Y-C., and Chen, Wei, “Data-Driven Design for Metamaterials and Multiscale Systems: A Review”, Advanced Materials, doi.org/10.1002/adma.202305254, 2023.
Wang, L., Chang, Y., Wu, S., Zhao, R.R. and Chen, W., “Physics-aware differentiable design of magnetically actuated kirigami for shape morphing”, Nature Communications, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44303-x, 2023.
Book: Chen, W., Hoyle, C. and Wassenaar, H-J., Decision-based Design: Integrating Consumer Preferences into Engineering Design, Springer, 2012.
Zhang, H., Chen, W.W., Rondinelli, J,, and Chen, W., "ET-AL: Entropy-targeted Active Learning for Bias Mitigation in Materials Data", Applied Physics Review, 10 (2), https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0138913, 2023.
Van Beek, A., Karkaria, V., Chen, W, “Digital Twins for the Designs of Systems: a Perspective”, Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 66(3), DOI:10.1007/s00158-023-03488-x, 2023.
Chen, W.W., Lee, D., Balogun, O., and Chen, W., “GAN-DUF: Hierarchical Deep Generative Models for Design under Free-From Geometric Uncertainty”, Journal of Mechanical Design, 145(1), https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4055898, 2023.
Lee, D., Chan, Y-C, Chen, W.W., Wang, L., and Chen, W., "t-METASET: Task-Aware Acquisition of Metamaterial Datasets through Diversity-Based Active Learning." Journal of Mechanical Design, 145 (3), 031704, https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4055925, 2022.
Zhang, H., Chen, W.W., Iyer, A., Apley, D., and Chen, W., “Uncertainty-Aware Mixed-Variable Machine Learning for Materials Design”, Scientific Report, Sci Rep 12, 19760, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-23431-2, 2022.
Huang, T., Liu, Z., Wu, C-T., Chen, W., “Microstructure-guided Deep Material Network for Rapid Nonlinear Material Modeling and Uncertainty Quantification”, Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, 398, Article 115197, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cma.2022.115197, 2022.
Chen, W., Iyer, A., and Bostanabad, R., “Data-Centric Design of Microstructural Materials Systems”, Engineering, 10, pg 89-98,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2021.05.022, 2022.
Chan, Y., Da, D., Wang, L, and Chen, W., “Remixing Functionally Graded Structures: Data-Driven Topology Optimization with Multiclass Shape Blending”, Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization 65 (135), https://doi.org/10.1007/s00158-022-03224-x, 2022.
Wang, L., Boddapati, J., Liu, K., Zhu, P., Daraio, C., and Chen, W., “Mechanical Cloak via Data-Driven Aperiodic Metamaterial Design”, PNAS, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2122185119, 2022.
Da, D., Chan Y.C., Wang, L, and Chen, W., “Data-driven and topological design of structural metamaterials for fracture resistance”, Extreme Mechanics Letters, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eml.2021.101528, 2021.
In the Classroom
Professor Chen has taught the courses: Intro to Mechanical Design and Manufacturing, Engineering Design (Capstone Design), Computational Methods for Engineering Design, Engineering Optimization for Product Design & Manufacturing, and Advanced Computational & Statistical Methods for Engineering Design.
Wei Chen in the News
- New $26M Center Will Assert American Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing
- Wei Chen Selected for 2022 Engineering Science Medal
- Wei Chen Receives Charles Russ Richards Memorial Award
- Design and Engineering Intersect in New Event Series
- Optimizing the Design of New Materials
- Customizable Smart Window Technology Could Improve Energy Efficiency of Buildings
- Wei Chen Named Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering
- Neural Network Predicts Plasticity of Materials
- Linda Broadbelt, Wei Chen Elected to National Academy of Engineering