Dr. Yanlai Chen Joins MassCEC’s Board of Directors

UMass Dartmouth’s Chief Research Officer brings commitment to innovation and education to state’s clean energy and climatetech economic development agency

BOSTON – Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) today announced the appointment of Dr. Yanlai Chen to its Board of Directors. Dr. Chen currently serves as Chief Research Officer at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Yanlai Chen to MassCEC’s Board of Directors,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper, who serves as chair of MassCEC’s Board of Directors. “MassCEC plays a critical role in growing our climatetech economy and creating new job opportunities in Massachusetts. Dr. Chen’s expertise and leadership will ensure that we are advancing technology and creating a cleaner, healthier environment for all Massachusetts residents.”

“MassCEC is fortunate to have a Board of Directors comprised of economic development leaders with backgrounds in government, higher education, business, the nonprofit sector, and labor,” said Massachusetts Clean Energy Center CEO Dr. Emily Reichert. “Dr. Chen’s commitment to groundbreaking research and innovation will be an asset to our Board, our staff, and the people we serve. I’m excited to work with him in the years ahead.”

"I am deeply honored to join the MassCEC Board of Directors and contribute to its critical work accelerating climatetech and clean energy solutions. The urgency of the climate crisis demands innovation at the intersection of technology and policy—whether through computational simulations to optimize energy systems, AI-driven breakthroughs, or scalable workforce programs to empower the next generation of climatetech entrepreneurs and workers,” said Dr. Yanlai Chen. “Drawing on my background in these research areas and my passion for education-led entrepreneurship, I look forward to collaborating with MassCEC leadership, the Board, and MassCEC's partners to translate cutting-edge research into real-world impact. Together, we can advance Massachusetts’ position as an international climatetech leader and grow the state’s clean energy economy."

Dr. Chen received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in 2002, followed by a Master of Science in Computer Science and Engineering from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the School of Mathematics at the University of Minnesota in 2007. He then completed postdoctoral research training at Brown University before joining the Department of Mathematics at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in August 2010. Dr. Chen currently serves as a full professor and assumed the role of Chief Research Officer (CRO) at UMass Dartmouth in July 2024, where he oversees and fosters the university’s research enterprise.

Dr. Chen's own research focuses on numerical analysis and scientific computing. His areas of expertise include finite element methods, surrogate modeling, fast algorithms, uncertainty quantification, and the design and analysis of machine learning algorithms. He has supervised the completion of six doctoral dissertations as of 2024.

Passionate about undergraduate education, Dr. Chen led the establishment of UMass Dartmouth’s ACCOMPLISH program, funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. This initiative provides comprehensive financial, social, and academic support, offering a contextualized, computing-centered education for eligible STEM students. In addition, Dr. Chen has held significant administrative roles, including Co-Director of the Graduate Program in Engineering and Applied Science between September 2020 and July 2024, and Co-Director of the Center for Scientific Computing and Data Science Research in Spring 2022.

About the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center

Massachusetts Clean Energy Center is a state economic development agency dedicated to accelerating the growth of the clean energy and climatetech sector across the Commonwealth to spur job creation, deliver statewide environmental benefits, and to secure long-term economic growth for the people of Massachusetts. Since 2010, MassCEC has awarded nearly $800 million through programs and investments and attracted over $2.8 billion in private and public funds.

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