Yue Zheng, PhD, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and mechanics, has been named the Pei Chi Chou Term Assistant Professor, a five-year appointment that recognizes her early-career achievements in research and scholarship.
Zheng joined Drexel in 2023 and leads the Zheng Research Lab, where she investigates the mechanics of soft materials and mechanical metamaterials. Her work spans soft robotics, biomedical systems and smart structures, bridging theory and experiment. She has earned national recognition, including a Haythornthwaite Foundation Research Initiation Grant and selection as a 2022 Rising Star in Mechanical Engineering.
The professorship honors the legacy of Pei Chi Chou, PhD, a longtime Drexel professor who helped establish the university’s doctoral programs and mentored generations of engineers. Chou and his wife, Rosalind, endowed the professorship to support promising young faculty.
“This support will help us pursue new directions in soft materials and programmable structures,” Zheng said. “I’m honored to be named to a position that carries Professor Chou’s legacy of innovation and mentorship.” Her appointment was nominated by department head Jonathan Spanier, PhD, endorsed by the college’s Endowed Chair Faculty Committee, and approved by the Provost’s Office in June.
