August 19, 2025
By Mikey Fuller

Tony Chen joined the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering as an assistant professor in July. Learn about the focus of his research, why he chose a career in academia, who has had an influence on him, and more in this Q&A.
 

Welcome back to the Woodruff School! How did you make the decision to return to Georgia Tech?

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Georgia Tech back when I was an undergraduate. I learned so much during the four years I spent here and really enjoyed being part of this amazing community. So, when there was an opportunity to come back after being away for graduate school, it was a no-brainer for me.

What course will you be teaching?

I will be teaching ME 4405 – Fundamentals of Mechatronics. This is a class that I took as an undergraduate here back in 2017. It teaches a lot of fundamental, hands-on knowledge about how to integrate electronics into mechanical engineering projects and robotics.

What is the focus of your research?

My research focuses on building mechanically intelligent mechanisms for robotics. Mechanical intelligence is a concept of developing new robotic mechanisms that make challenges for perception, control, and autonomy easier or more robust for natural, unstructured, and unpredictable environments by virtue of their physical designs. This concept can be applied in many different research areas, such as manipulation and field robotics, which naturally leads to collaboration across multiple disciplines within and outside of engineering, such as biology for bio-inspiration and biomimetic and planetary science for robotic exploration in space.

Who are some of your career influences?

Throughout my academic journey, I have been so fortunate to have had so many amazing teachers and mentors. All of them made me who I am today. Of them, three names come to mind: Mr. Sims and Mr. Weinberger, who were my high school robotics mentors when I was part of the FIRST Robotics Competition. They are the ones who introduced me to robotics and spent countless hours mentoring us outside of the school voluntarily. And of course, my Ph.D. advisor, Mark Cutkosky, who not only has taught me almost everything I know about research but also has shown me how to be a kind, humble, and effective mentor. He was the best Ph.D. advisor I could have ever hoped for, and my source of inspiration for continuing in academia.

What do you enjoy about working in academia?

I think there are two main things I enjoy most about working in academia. The first is the students. Being able to interact with them on a daily basis brings so much fun and joy into this work. The second is the intellectual freedom to explore my passion and curiosity and to work with so many brilliant minds across multiple disciplines.

What achievements are you most proud of in your career?

The highlight of my career has always been watching the students I have interacted with and mentored grow, achieve something they are after, and become the best versions of themselves. There is nothing more satisfying and rewarding. On top of that, to contribute to the field, build different robots that can accomplish things no other robots have previously been able to do.

What are you most excited about while returning to Tech?

Returning to this awesome community and contributing to it to the best of my ability.

What do you like to do for fun?

I enjoy playing board games, video games, reading, hiking, and skiing.