[Ucrfacultyandstaff] Dr. Ming Chen

[UCR Provost]

Dear Campus Community,

It is with a heavy heart that I share the sudden and unexpected passing of
Dr. Meng Chen, Professor of Botany and Plant Sciences, who died on
September 10 while attending a conference in Switzerland.

Dr. Chen was born on May 21, 1970, in China. He received his Ph.D. at Iowa
State University, conducted postdoctoral research at the Salk Institute,
and joined the faculty of Duke University in 2008. He moved to UCR in 2015
and, shortly after his arrival, received the prestigious UC Regents Faculty
Development Award.

Over the course of his career, Dr. Chen became an internationally
recognized leader in plant photobiology, particularly in understanding how
plants perceive and respond to light and temperature through phytochrome
signaling. Dr. Chen’s research was supported by long-term funding from the
National Science Foundation as well as the National Institutes of Health,
an especially notable accomplishment for a plant biologist. His work
appeared in leading journals, including *Cell, Genes & Development*,
*Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences*, and *Nature Communications*.

Dr. Chen built a large and intellectually vibrant research program at
UCR. He trained numerous postdoctoral researchers, graduate students,
research scientists, specialists, and undergraduate researchers. Beyond his
own research group, graduate students from several UCR programs regularly
sought his expertise for their advisory, qualifying-examination, thesis,
and dissertation committees.

Dr. Chen set exceptionally high scientific standards for himself and passed
these standards on to the scientists he trained. He combined these
expectations with a remarkable ability to inspire others to achieve their
best. Colleagues remember him as an intellectual who could challenge people
scientifically while motivating them to pursue difficult questions with
rigor and creativity. They also remember him as a charismatic and warm
person: friendly, cheerful, cordial, and optimistic.

In recent years, Dr. Chen taught introductory molecular biology and cell
biology to undergraduate and graduate students. Students praised his
enthusiasm for the subjects he taught, the depth of his knowledge, his
ability to bring clarity to difficult concepts, and his kind and personable
manner.

Dr. Chen was also an engaged university citizen. He served the UCR Academic
Senate through the Committee on Committees, the Graduate Council, and the
Committee on Planning and Budget; contributed to college-level activities,
including the CNAS Space Committee; and served the Department of Botany and
Plant Sciences through academic planning, faculty advancement, recruitment,
and other responsibilities.

His service extended to the international scientific community, where he
contributed to several professional societies, including the American
Society of Plant Biologists. He served for five years as an editor of the
Journal of Biological Chemistry and reviewed extensively for leading
scientific journals. He was frequently invited to speak at international
conferences and universities, including as a plenary speaker.

The circumstances of his final days make the loss particularly poignant.
Dr. Chen died while attending the international EMBO Workshop on Plant
Photobiology in Les Diablerets, Switzerland. On a hike in the Swiss Alps
with other conference participants, he collapsed and died unexpectedly.

Those wishing to learn more about Dr. Chen’s career and enduring scientific
contributions can read a detailed tribute here
<https://cnas.ucr.edu/news/2026/09/15/memoriam-meng-chen-professor-botany-and-plant-sciences>
.

We recognize that this loss is especially painful to Dr. Chen’s family,
friends, students, and colleagues in CNAS. We extend our heartfelt
condolences to all who knew and loved him, especially his wife and his son.

Sincerely,

Liz



*Elizabeth Watkins, PhD*

*Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor*

*Professor of History*

University of California, Riverside

951.827.1129 | Elizabeth.Watkins at UCR.edu
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