MEES Department Faculty Promotions

The Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science is excited to announce a series of promotions. Dr. Youxing Chen and Dr. In Hong Yang were both promoted to from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor with Tenure. Additionally, Dr. Alireza Tabarraei was promoted from Associate Professor to Full Professor.

Dr. Alireza Tabarraei has been at UNC Charlotte since 2012. His research focuses on combining computational mechanics with AI and quantum computing to solve engineering problems. Dr. Tabarraei leads the Computational Mechanics and Intelligent Systems (CMIS) Lab, where he and his students develop computational tools for engineering applications. His research has been supported by the NSF and DOE, including receiving a NSF BRITE Pivot award. He is also recognized as one of the World’s Top 2% of Scientists by Stanford University.

Dr. Youxing Chen has been at UNC Charlotte since 2019. His research focuses on the design and development of structural materials for extreme conditions, including high-temperature and radiation environments. He is an NSF CAREER awardee for research on interface design and stability under extreme conditions. He has been well-funded and has joined the Million-Dollar Circle in 2025 and 2026. He has 75 peer-reviewed journal articles in the field and has received 4070 citations, with an h-index of 36, according to Google Scholar. Meanwhile, Dr. Chen manages the Nanoindentation Lab, Scanning Electron Microscopy Lab, and Transmission Electron Microscopy Lab.

Dr. In Hong Yang has been at UNC Charlotte since 2019 and leads the Neural Engineering Lab. His research focuses on nerve regeneration and bioelectronic treatment  of neurological diseases. Dr. Yang’s research has been supported by government agencies, including an NSF CAREER Award to fund research on less invasive treatment methods for nerve conditions. He also joined the Million-Dollar Circle in 2025.