Faculty Profiles

J. S. Chen’s research interests center around computational mechanics, multiscale materials modeling, and machine learning enhanced data-driven computing, with a focus on development of advanced Finite Element and Meshfree Methods for dynamic and nonlinear mechanics of materials, solids, coupled physics problems, manifold learning, thermodynamics-based data-driven computing, and digital twin applications.

Capsule Bio:

J. S. Chen is the William Prager Chair Professor and Distinguished Professor of Structural Engineering Department, Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, and the Founding Director of Center for Extreme Events Research at UC San Diego. Before joining UCSD in 2013, he was the Chancellor's Professor in the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department at UCLA, where he served as the Chair of Civil & Environmental Engineering Department from 2007 to 2012, and Professor in the Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Department and in the Mathematics Department. J. S. Chen’s research is in computational mechanics and multiscale materials modeling with specialization in the development of meshfree methods. J. S. Chen earned his Ph.D. in Theoretical and Applied mechanics from Northwestern University.

Selected Awards and Honors:

• John von Neumann Medal, US Association for Computational Mechanics, 2025.
• Yushan Fellow, Ministry of Education, Taiwan, 2024.
• Raymond D. Mindlin Medal, ASCE Engineering Mechanics Institute, 2024.
• Computational Mechanics Award, Japan Association for Computational Mechanics (JACM), 2021.
• Grand Prize, Japan Society for Computational Engineering and Science (JSCES), 2020.
• The Belytschko Medal, U.S. Association for Computational Mechanics (formerly USACM Computational Structural Mechanics Award), June, 2017
• Ted Belytschko Applied Mechanics Award, ASME Applied Mechanics Division, November, 2016.
• President of ASCE Engineering Mechanics Institute (EMI), 2015 - 2017.
• The Computational Mechanics Award, International Association for Computational Mechanics (IACM), 2012.
• The ICACM Award, International Chinese Association for Computational Mechanics (ICACM), 2011.
• President, US Association for Computational Mechanics, 2010-2012.
• Outstanding Alumnus of National Central University, Taiwan, 2007.
• Chancellor's Professor, UCLA, 2006-2013.
• James Lightners Faculty Fellowship, The University of Iowa, 2001.
• Faculty Scholar Award, The University of Iowa, 2000.
• Carver Scientific Research Initiation Award, The University of Iowa, 1996.
• GenCorp Technology Achievement Award, GenCorp, 1991.
• Fellow of USACM, IACM, ASME, EMI, SES, ICACM, and ICCEES.