Contact
Office
(434) 924-4912
Location
Albert H. Small Building Room 112A
156 Engineer’s Way
Charlottesville, VA 22904

Heze Chen

Assistant Professor, Academic General Faculty, Teaching Track, Applied Mathematics
Contact
Office
(434) 924-4912
Location
Albert H. Small Building Room 112A
156 Engineer’s Way
Charlottesville, VA 22904
My website

About

Heze Chen is an Assistant Professor in the Center for Applied Math. He received his BS in Civil Engineering from Zhejiang University of Technology in 2016 and subsequently worked on construction projects. He joined the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Virginia as a graduate student in 2017, where he obtained both his MS and PhD degrees in Structural Engineering.

Growing up on the east coast of China, Heze now lives in Charlottesville with his wife and a cat named Nunu and a dog named Willump. His academic journey has fostered his strong commitment to teaching and learning.

Education

Ph.D. Civil engineering, University of Virginia, 2023

M.S. Civil engineering, Univeristy of Virginia, 2019

B.S. Civil engineering, Zhejiang Univerisity of Technology, 2016

"Everything can be explained by simple but aesthetic principles which are the inner beauty of mother nature."

Heze Chen Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics

Selected Publications

WIP: Integrating Student-developed Applications and In-class Learning Games to Optimize Learning Outcomes: A Case Study in An Introductory Statistical Learning and Programming Course ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition. Chen, H., Li, M. & Fernando, A. M., & (2025).
Exploring Effective Pedagogical Approaches for Teaching Linear Algebra to Engineering Students: A Literature Review ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition. Li, M. & Chen, H. (2024).
"Parametric finite-volume method for Saint Venants torsion of arbitrarily shaped cross sections." Composite Structures. 256, 113052. Chen, H., Gomez, J., & Pindera, M. J. (2021).
Saint Venants Torsion of Homogeneous and Composite Bars by the Finite Volume Method. Composite Structures. 242, 112128. Chen, H., Gomez, J., & Pindera, M. J. (2020).

Courses Taught

CE 5340: Advanced Topics in Structural Engineering Fall 2021
APMA 2120: Multivariable Calculus Fall 2023, Summer 2024, Fall 2024
APMA 3150: From Data to Knowledge Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Summer 2025, Fall 2025
APMA 3080: Linear Algebra Spring 2024, Spring 2025
APMA 2150: Programming in R and MATLAB Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025
APMA 2130: Ordinary Differential Equations Fall 2025

Featured Grants & Projects

Center for Applied Mathematics Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (Summer 2025) Advancing Linear Algebra Instructions Through a Full-Course MATLAB Web Apps Platform This project completes and tests interactive MATLAB Web Apps for APMA 3080, enhancing learning by unifying theoretical and computational tools. The apps streamline workflows, improve engagement, and support equitable access. Outcomes will inform Fall 2025 instruction and provide a scalable model for other applied mathematics courses.
CTE Thrive (2024/2025) Large Pliots This project aims to unify interactive components of APMA's Linear Algebra course into a browser-based MATLAB platform, enhancing student learning, reducing platform fragmentation, and providing undergraduate research assistants with hands-on development experience transferable to other applied math courses.

MATLAB Web Apps: https://matlab-apps.apma.virginia.edu:9988
Center for Applied Mathematics Education Innovation Awards (Summer 2024) Create a programming lab teaching MATLAB & R and investigate its impacts This project creates a 2-credit programming lab to teach MATLAB and R, addressing the lack of structured instruction in SEAS. It will support student learning, reduce reliance on self-teaching, and evaluate the lab’s impact and student perceptions, filling a gap in engineering education research.