Wei (Wayne) Chen is an Assistant Professor in the J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. Before his current appointment, he was a Research Scientist at Siemens Technology (Princeton, NJ) and a Postdoctoral Scholar at Northwestern University.

His research focuses on developing advanced AI and machine learning methods for engineering design, targeting some of today’s most challenging problems in design ideation, design automation, and design for manufacturing. These challenges include inverse design, design under uncertainty, and the discovery of novel solutions within large design spaces. He studies how AI can augment human design capabilities by improving efficiency, stimulating creativity, and generating new knowledge and insights, while ensuring generalizability and trustworthiness in AI-driven design processes. His work has been applied to various engineering domains including aerodynamic design, materials design, design for advanced manufacturing, and CAD/CAE.