Dr Jimmy H. Chen, CEng, CSci, FHEA, FRSA, is an Associate Professor at NMITE, where he specialises in the synergistic intersection of mechanical engineering and advanced materials science. Prior to joining NMITE, he held research and teaching roles at the University of Oxford and Queen Mary University of London. He completed his BEng (1st Hons) at the University of Nottingham and his DPhil in Solid Mechanics at the University of Oxford. Through this academic and professional background, Dr Chen brings a rigorous, research-led perspective to engineering education, shaping a practice-based and innovation-focused approach to teaching and learning.
Dr Chen is a Chartered Engineer, a Chartered Scientist, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. His pedagogical approach is grounded in learning by doing, innovative teaching methodologies, and Universal Design for Learning. This ethos has been shaped by his years of teaching experience as a programme lecturer and by his professional fellowships, through which he integrates field-course teaching, complex problem-solving, and real-world engineering challenges to support inclusive and applied engineering education.
Beyond the classroom, Dr Chen is an active leader in the engineering community and has developed strong partnerships with industry. He is a frequent keynote speaker at professional and public events, including TEDx Oxford, as well as material workshops and conferences, where he translates complex research into wider societal impact. His research focuses on the mechanics of materials, with particular emphasis on the structural design of lightweight, energy-absorbing, and bio-inspired systems. By combining structural optimisation with advanced manufacturing techniques, to the development of next-generation resilient engineering applications.
Qualifications
PhD in Engineering Science (Solid Mechanics and Materials), The University of Oxford
PGCert in Academic Practice, Queen Mary University of London
BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering, The University of Nottingham
Teaching Modules
Essential Mathematics for Engineering
Applied Solid Mechanics and Engineering Materials
Structure Design and Numerical Analysis
Sustainability and Management
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9864-1890
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=J9IapUAAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/chenhuanming
Research Highlights
Impact engineering and testing
Co-existence localised mechanisms
Non-Newtonian fluid under impact
Damage mechanism at moisture polymer