Dr. Cheng Chen

Assistant Professor, ISEEM

Contact

5000 Technology Drive NW
Olin B. King Technology Hall
Room N133
Huntsville, AL 35899
Campus Map

256.824.6637
cc1115@uah.edu

Biography

Dr. Cheng Chen is an assistant professor in the Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering & Engineering Management (ISEEM). Prior to joining UAH, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the Innovation Factory and taught as a limited-term instructor in the College of Engineering at the University of Georgia from 2022 to 2024. During this time, he contributed to data analysis for assembly line research, secured industrial funding, and actively served at ASME IDETC conferences. 

Cheng Chen is a first-generation college student and a member of Tri-Alpha. His diverse academic background enables him to advocate for educational access and expand opportunities that address both local and university STEM education needs.

Research Summary

Our group is fascinated by implementing Large Language Models (LLMs) and digital threads to tackle the challenges of complex systems in design and manufacturing. We investigate how engineering changes spread across requirement management domains, emphasizing the importance of managing these changes to prevent failures in complex design systems. Our research aims to understand how different architectures of digital threads are built and controlled to trace design changes across various domains of the product lifecycle. Additionally, our manufacturing research interests span the area of predictive maintenance, synthetic data generation, and generative design. His applied research involves collaborating with experts from academia and industry on projects that use Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions when designing sustainable manufacturing processes to improve assembly efficiency.

Curriculum Vitae & Research Group Website

Education

  • Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Georgia, 2022
  • M.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering, Florida Institute of Technology, 2016
  • B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Century College of BUPT, 2012

Affiliations

  • Society of Manufacturing Engineers - SME
  • Alpha Alpha Alpha Honor Society - AAA
  • The Design Research Society - DRS
  • American Society of Engineering Education - ASEE
  • American Society of Mechanical Engineers - ASME

Expertise

  • Computational Design
  • Smart Manufacturing
  • Requirement Management
  • Digital Thread
  • Spray Optimization
  • Engineering Education

Recent Publications

  • Yorston, Cole, Cheng Chen, and Jaime Camelio. "Advancing architectural frameworks for vibration signature classification in rotating machinery." Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture 239.5 (2025): 711-725.

  • Buggineni, V., Chen, C., Camelio, J., (2024), Synthetic Data Generation in Advanced Manufacturing: Opportunities and Applications, Frontiers In Manufacturing Technology, Frontiers In Manufacturing Technology 4: 1320166, DOI: 10.3389/fmtec.2024.1320166

  • Htet Hein, P., Chen, C., Kames E., Morkos, B., 2023, A Network Interference Approach to Analyzing Change Propagation in Requirements, Journal of Computing and Information Science in Engineering, Journal of Computing and Information Science in Engineering, 1-54. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4065273

  • Chen, C., & Morkos, B. (2023). Exploring topic modelling for generalising design requirements in complex design. Journal of Engineering Design, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/09544828.2023.2268850

  • Mullis, J., Chen, C., Morkos, B, and Ferguson, S. (2023). Efficacy of Deep Neural Networks in Natural Language Processing for Classifying Requirements by Origin and Functionality: An Application of BERT in System Requirement. ASME. J. Mech. Des. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4063764