Chen Memorial Lecture

Bruce T. Murray

2025 Speaker: Bruce T. Murray

March 27, 2025

Bruce T. Murray, Bartle Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science at Binghampton University (SUNY), presented "In-Vitro and In-Silico Modeling of the Mechanobiology of Aortic Valve Disease."

The Chuan F. Chen Memorial Lecture Series

Established in 2022, the Chuan F. Chen Memorial Lecture Series is held annually by the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Arizona. The series was created to honor the achievements of the former AME department head, an internationally recognized scientist in fluid dynamics and a renowned researcher who helped shape the golden age of aeronautics.

Each year, a leading expert in the field is invited to present their latest research and developments, continuing Dr. Chen’s legacy of scientific excellence and curiosity.

The lecture series is made possible through the generosity of the Chen family – Frances, Peter, Ann, Paul, Yihua, Philip and Grace – to ensure that his legacy continues to inspire future generations.

Chuan F. Chen

About Chuan F. Chen

Dr. Chuan "Tony" Chen, an internationally recognized scholar and engineer, made lasting contributions to the fields of fluid mechanics and aerodynamics. His work continues to impact engineering education and practice today.

Born in Tianjin, China, Dr. Chen came to the United States in 1950 to pursue mechanical engineering at the University of Illinois. He earned his master's degree in 1954 and continued his graduate studies at Brown University, where he received a doctorate in aeronautical engineering in 1960.

Over the course of his career, Dr. Chen made important contributions across a broad range of fluid dynamics topics, including aerodynamics, the stability of Taylor-Couette and time-dependent flows, and doubly diffusive flows—particularly in solidification and geological fluid mechanics. Passionate about discovery, he delighted in exploring new ideas and understanding complex phenomena. He skillfully combined experimental and theoretical approaches and trained many of his doctoral students in both.

He held visiting appointments at several prestigious institutions, including the University of Cambridge, NASA Ames Research Center, the Australian National University and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. He also served as director of the Fluid Dynamics and Hydraulics Program at the National Science Foundation and was a life member of Clare Hall at the University of Cambridge.

In 1980, Dr. Chen and his family moved to Arizona, where he became head of the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Arizona, serving in that role until 1989. He continued to teach, conduct research and mentor students until his retirement in 2002.

He was a fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He was also a member of the American Society for Engineering Education. In 1982, he received a distinguished alumni award from the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Throughout his career, he published more than 100 scientific articles and papers, delivered numerous lectures and seminars around the world, and chaired multiple national and international conferences.

Dr. Tony Chen passed away on Aug. 17, 2019, leaving behind a profound legacy in engineering and science.
 

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Previous Lecturers

  • 2025: Bruce T. Murray - Bartle Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science, Binghamton University (SUNY), presented "In-Vitro and In-Silico Modeling of the Mechanobiology of Aortic Valve Disease."
  • 2024: Siva Thangam - Dean of academic administration at Stevens Institute of Technology's Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science, in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, presented "Modeling Turbulence in Complex Flows."
  • 2023: Paul Linden - Director of research and the G.I. Taylor Professor Emeritus of Fluid Mechanics in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, and professorial fellow emeritus of Downing College at the University of Cambridge, presented "The Stratified Inclined Duct: What We Have Learned About Stratified Turbulence in a Maintained Shear Flow."