Dr. Yongsheng Chen is the Bonnie W. and Charles W. Moorman IV Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Director of the Nutrients–Energy–Water (N.E.W.) Center for Agriculture Technology at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He earned his B.S.E. in 1986 and his M.S. in 1992 from Nankai University, where he also completed his Ph.D. in Environmental Chemistry in June 1995. From June 1995 to March 1998, Dr. Chen served as an Assistant and Associate Professor at Nankai University. He then worked as a Senior Research Engineer from March 1998 to June 2002. Before joining Georgia Tech in May 2009, he was an Associate Professor of Research at Arizona State University from November 2003 to April 2009.
Professor Chen’s research focuses on developing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)-assisted tools to integrate decentralized urban resource recovery with precision agriculture. His work includes ML-aided inverse design and discovery of novel materials and membranes for resource recovery, as well as the use of machine learning models, computer vision, and digital twin techniques to enhance agricultural productivity. These tools enable predictive modeling of food yield, nutritional content, and cost-effective commercialization strategies, advancing both environmental Engineering and agricultural innovation.
Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Engineering Nankai University, China 1995
M.S. in Environmental Science and Engineering Nankai University, China 1992
B.S. E. in Chemical Engineering Northern China Institute of Technology, China 1986
Professor Chen’s teaching centers on core fundamental environmental engineering courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels, including environmental engineering systems, sustainability analysis of civil and environmental systems, environmental engineering laboratories, and physicochemical treatment processes. His research is strongly student-centered, actively engaging graduate and undergraduate students, as well as K12 learners, in hands-on, inquiry-driven projects that foster interdisciplinary learning and real-world impact.
Someday, your drinking water could be completely free of toxic “forever chemicals.” Georgia Tech researchers, armed with a cutting-edge machine learning (ML) model, are spearheading a multi-university initiative. Their goal? To design a better membrane that efficiently removes PFAS from drinking water, a significant source of human exposure.
Professor Yongsheng Chen and his team are among the Georgia Tech engineers working to reduce the environmental impact of farming while creating technologies to help farmers feed a growing world and adapt to a changing climate.
Georgia Tech researchers are putting AI to work to help meet sustainability goals in a range of areas including climate change adaptation and mitigation, urban farming, food distribution, and life cycle assessments while also focusing on ways to make sure AI is used ethically and equitably.
