June 21, 2021
Research assistant professor Yangyang Chen
Yangyang Chen, a research assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, will begin his faculty career at a world-renowned institution. He is going to the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), rated the 56th best university in the world in 2021, according to Times Higher Education.
“I’m very glad to have this opportunity to work at a top university in the world and to further my career”, he said.
Chen, PhD ‘17, explained that HKUST is like most universities in the United States. It is a four-year research institution with very similar regulations. He will conduct further research into active metamaterials, a version of “robots” built with repeated responsive structures, and teach classes.
“I am looking forward to training postdocs and graduate students on how to do research, experiments, publish papers and present results,” he said. “I’m also looking forward to teaching undergraduate classes and sharing my knowledge gained from the University of Missouri.”
James C. Dowell Professor Guoliang Huang, Chen’s mentor, is pleased his student will become a faculty member at such a respected institution.
“I’m happy for Dr. Chen as he begins his career at one of the most prestigious universities in the world,” Huang said. “As his mentor, I look forward to his career success.”
Chen was a PhD student for 5.5 years under Huang. The first two years were at the University of Arkansas – Little Rock, with the last 3.5 years at Mizzou. Chen is appreciative of the time he has spent with Huang and at Mizzou.
“I thank Dr. Huang, the department and the college for supporting me,” he said.