McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern University

Wei Chen

Wilson-Cook Professor in Engineering Design and Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Education

Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA

M.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiaotong University, China

Research Interests

Design Optimization; design under uncertainty; multidisciplinary design optimization; simulation-based design; design theory & methodology.

Dr. Chen is the Director of the Integrated DEsign Automation Laboratory (IDEAL). Her research goal is to develop rational design methods based on optimization techniques and statistical methods for use in engineering design and manufacturing problems. Her current research topics include robust design, reliability engineering, simulation-based design, multidisciplinary design optimization, enterprise-driven collaborative design, decision-based design (DBD), and model validation.

Significant Recognition

• Best Paper Award, ASME 38th Design Automation Conference, 2012
• Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), 2009 - present
• Ralph R. Teetor Education Award, Society of Automotive Engineering, 2006
• Intelligent Optimal Design Prize, 18th International Conference on Structural Mechanics in Reactor Technology, 2005
• National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Award, 1996 - 2001
• ASME Pi Tau Sigma Gold Medal achievement award, 1998
• Black & Decker Best Paper Award, 1998
• Alcoa Foundation Research Award, 1998
• Sigma Xi Doctoral Dissertation Award, Georgia Tech Chapter, 1996
• Associate Fellow, American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics (AIAA), 2003 - present

Significant Professional Service

• Associate Editor, ASME Journal of Mechanical Design
• Review Editor, Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization
• o Elected Member, Executive Committee of ASME Design Engineering Division (2009-2015); Vice Chair (2012-2013)
• Elected Member, Advisory Board of the Design Society (2007-2013)

Selected Publications

• L. He, W. Chen, C. Hoyle and B. Yannou, “Choice Modeling for Usage Context-Based Design”, Journal of Mechanical Design, (2012)
• Chen, W.; Hoyle, C.; Wassenaar, Henk Jan, “Decision-based Design: Integrating Consumer Preferences into Engineering Design”, Springer, (2012)
• L. He, W. Chen and G. Conzelmann, “Impact of vehicle usage on consumer choice of hybrid electric vehicles”, Transportation Research Part D-Transport and Environment, (2012)
• L. He, C. Hoyle and W. Chen, “Examination of customer satisfaction surveys in choice modelling to support engineering design”, Journal of Engineering Design, (2011)
• Y. Liu, W. Chen, P. Arendt and H.-Z. Huang, “Toward a Better Understanding of Model Validation Metrics”, Journal of Mechanical Design, (2011)
• S. Chen and W. Chen, “A new level-set based approach to shape and topology optimization under geometric uncertainty”, Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, (2011)
• Yang, S.; Xiong, F.; Chen, W.; Xiong, Y., “Weighted stochastic response surface method considering sample weights”, Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, (2011)
• MS Greene;Y Liu;W Chen;WK Liu, “Computational uncertainty analysis in multiresolution materials via stochastic constitutive theory”, Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, (2011)