Chen earns Illinois University Scholar recognition

9/4/2025

Professor and Racheff Faculty Scholar Qian Chen has been named a University Scholar, one of five faculty to receive this prestigious recognition. Chen is internationally recognized for her pioneering electron videography work enabling real-time atomic-resolution imaging of materials and has published over 100 high-impact papers since 2015.

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Pictured: Professor and Racheff Faculty Scholar Qian Chen
Pictured: Professor and Racheff Faculty Scholar Qian Chen

Professor and Racheff Faculty Scholar Qian Chen of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at The Grainger College of Engineering has earned recognition as a University Scholar. She is one of five faculty members across the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus  to receive this prestigious recognition.

The University Scholars program honors faculty excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service, providing $15,000 annually for three years to enhance academic careers.

Chen is a globally recognized leader in nanoscale imaging and materials characterization. Her groundbreaking work in electron videography has enabled real-time visualization of soft, biological, and energy materials at atomic resolution. Since joining the materials department in 2015, she has authored more than 100 high-impact publications and leads major federally funded research initiatives.

Beyond her research achievements, Chen consistently ranks as an excellent teacher and recently earned the Provost's Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring honor. She recently received multiple prestigious honors from the American Chemical Society, including the Nano Lectureship and the Langmuir Lectureship.

Illinois Grainger Engineering Affiliations 

Qian Chen is an Illinois Grainger Engineering professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and is affiliated with the Materials Research Laboratory, the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, the Department of Chemistry, the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the Carle Illinois College of Medicine. She serves as an investigator for Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago and holds the Racheff Faculty Scholar appointment. 


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This story was published September 4, 2025.