Dr. Gang Chen is a preeminent mechanical engineer and internationally recognized authority in thermal energy conversion and nanoscale transport phenomena. He currently holds the distinguished Carl Richard Soderberg Professorship of Power Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he has been a faculty member since 2001. Prior to his appointment at MIT, Chen served on the faculty at UCLA and Duke University, establishing himself as a rising star in thermal science research. He previously provided strategic leadership as head of MIT's Department of Mechanical Engineering from 2013 to 2018, guiding one of the world's most prestigious engineering programs through a period of significant innovation. Chen earned his PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 1993, following master's and bachelor's degrees in power engineering from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China.
Professor Chen's groundbreaking research has fundamentally transformed the understanding of heat transfer in nanostructures and thermoelectric materials, enabling revolutionary applications in energy conversion technologies. His seminal work has led to significant advances in converting solar and thermal energy into electricity, alongside innovative approaches to water treatment and desalination through nanoscale engineering. A particularly notable achievement was his team's discovery that cubic boron arsenide possesses exceptional thermal conductivity properties, making it the best semiconductor material ever found for certain applications, which was named to Physics World's Top 10 Breakthroughs of 2022. His development of the 'electrical heat valve,' a device that can vary thermal conductivity on demand, represents another paradigm-shifting contribution with potential applications across multiple energy sectors.
Beyond his research achievements, Chen has been instrumental in shaping the field through his leadership as director of the Solid-State Solar-Thermal Energy Conversion Center, an energy frontier research center formerly funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. His profound commitment to mentoring has earned him MIT's Capers and Marion McDonald Award for Excellence in Mentoring and Advising, with numerous students attesting to his exceptional dedication to their growth and professional development. Despite facing unfounded charges under the controversial China Initiative in 2021, which were subsequently dismissed when evidence showed the disclosures in question were not required, Chen continues to advance thermal science with remarkable resilience and vision. His current research focuses on fundamental energy conversion mechanisms from nanoscale to macroscale, photomolecular effects, and innovative solutions for water treatment and desalination, positioning his work at the forefront of sustainable energy technologies for the 21st century.
