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Chen’s research focuses on understanding and modeling hydrologic processes at the watershed scale, including water/energy balance, rainfall/runoff partitioning, and storage dynamics. By developing simple but efficient models, Chen studies the key physical controlling factors on seasonal hydrology, as well as the interaction between watershed systems and human activity. For the WSC project, Chen is working on linking the Terrestrial Hydrology Model with Biogeochemistry (THMB) with the dynamic ecosystem model Integrated Biosphere Simulator (Agro-IBIS) to simulate the nutrient export to the Yahara lakes. The integrated model will be used for future water quality projections in the Yahara Watershed under climate change and land use/land cover change scenarios. 

Chen received his PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Central Florida, his MS in Environmental Science at the University of Kansas, and his BS in Environmental Science at Nankai University in China.