To: All campus
To the Campus Community,
With a heavy heart, we write to share the sudden passing of our colleague, Dr. YangQuan Chen, Professor in the School of Engineering and Founder and Director of the Mechatronics, Embedded Systems and Automation (MESA) Lab. Dr. Chen was a deeply respected scholar, educator, and innovator whose contributions to UC Merced and the broader field of engineering have left a lasting mark. Our thoughts and those of Chancellor Muñoz are with his family, friends, students, and colleagues during this difficult time.
Dr. Chen joined UC Merced in Fall 2012, bringing with him an extraordinary record of scholarship and leadership in control systems and mechatronics. Prior to his arrival, he served on the faculty in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Utah State University, where he also directed the Center for Self-Organizing and Intelligent Systems. From the moment he joined our campus, Dr. Chen played a pivotal role in advancing UC Merced’s engineering programs, helping to build both academic excellence and research distinction.
A pioneering thinker, Dr. Chen’s work spanned advanced control systems, robotics, mechatronics, and intelligent systems. As the founder and director of the MESA Lab, he cultivated a dynamic research environment that brought together students and collaborators to explore cutting-edge technologies and real-world applications. His work was widely recognized and influential, contributing to the advancement of engineering knowledge and innovation on a global scale.
Dr. Chen was also a dedicated and passionate educator. He mentored countless undergraduate and graduate students, guiding them not only in their academic pursuits but also in their professional and personal development. His students and colleagues alike knew him as generous with his time, deeply knowledgeable, and committed to fostering curiosity, creativity, and excellence.
Dr. Chen’s academic journey reflected both determination and global perspective. He earned his B.S. in industrial automation from the University of Science and Technology of Beijing, his M.S. in automatic control from the Beijing Institute of Technology, and his Ph.D. in advanced control and instrumentation from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Across each stage of his career, he demonstrated a steadfast commitment to advancing knowledge and educating the next generation of engineers.
Beyond his many professional accomplishments, Dr. Chen will be remembered as a valued colleague and member of our community. His contributions to the School of Engineering and to UC Merced more broadly will endure through the programs he helped build, the research he advanced, and the many students and colleagues he inspired.
As we begin the healing process from this sudden and unexpected loss, please take the time you need to reach out, support each other, and connect with those who are close to you. Students can contact Counseling and Psychological Services at 209-228-4266 to make an appointment or speak with a counselor over the phone. INSIGHT, our employee assistance program, is available to faculty and staff. Call 800-422-5322 or email insighteap@insighteap.com to access this service.
We will share information about memorial arrangements as it becomes available.
With deep sympathy,
Elizabeth Dumont, Ph.D.
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
Rakesh Goel, Ph.D.
Dean, School of Engineering
