The PPM Lab welcomes inquiries from motivated Ph.D. students, postdoctoral researchers, and summer interns.
Principal investigator
Assistant Professor of Materials Science & Engineering at University of Nevada, Reno
Dr. Ming Chen earned his B.Eng. from the University of Science and Technology Beijing, M.Sc. from RWTH Aachen University, and Ph.D. from ETH Zurich. After postdoctoral appointments at the Paul Scherrer Institute and Northwestern University, he joined the University of Nevada, Reno in 2025. His research focuses on processing and physical metallurgy, with emphasis on additive manufacturing of metals and ceramics, powder metallurgy of functional metals, advanced X-ray characterization, and in situ mechanical testing from the micro- to nanoscale.
Education
Ph.D., Materials Science
ETH Zurich, Switzerland
M.Sc., Physical Metallurgy & Materials Science
RWTH Aachen University, Germany
B.Eng., Metallurgical Engineering
University of Science and Technology Beijing, China
Powder metallurgy · Sustainable materials processing · Phase transformations · Materials characterization · Additive manufacturing · Gas–solid interaction
Basketball · Meditation and mindfulness · Exploring new places and experiencing different cultures
Additive manufacturing, surface engineering, and materials microstructural characterization
Fitness · Photography
Developing new alloys and material combinations to advance metallurgical research and expand their potential applications
Weightlifting · Reading · Muay Thai · Rock climbing
Powder metallurgy · Energy storage · Semiconductor engineering
Video games · Working out · Cooking
Additive manufacturing · Friction stir welding
