<div dir="ltr"><div><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;font-size:16px">Dear Campus Community,</span><br style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;font-size:16px"><br style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent">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.<br><br></span><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent">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.  <br><br></span><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent">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 </span><i style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent">Cell, Genes & Development</i><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent">, </span><i style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</i><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent">, and </span><i style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent">Nature Communications</i><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent">.<br><br></span><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent">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.<br><br></span><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent">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.<br><br></span><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent">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.<br><br></span><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent">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.<br><br></span><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent">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.<br><br></span><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent">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.<br><br></span><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent">Those wishing to learn more about Dr. Chen’s career and enduring scientific contributions can read a detailed tribute </span><a href="https://cnas.ucr.edu/news/2026/09/15/memoriam-meng-chen-professor-botany-and-plant-sciences" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(70,120,134);font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent">here</a><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent">.<br><br></span><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent">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.<br><br></span><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent">Sincerely, <br><br></span></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial">Liz<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Elizabeth Watkins, PhD</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><i><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor</span></i><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><i><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Professor of History</span></i><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">University of California, Riverside<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">951.827.1129 | <a href="mailto:Elizabeth.Watkins@UCR.edu" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">Elizabeth.Watkins@UCR.edu</a><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12pt;color:rgb(34,34,34)"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)"><img border="0" width="198" height="61" src="cid:image001.png@01DB719C.EFF85DB0" style="width:2.0625in;height:0.6354in"></span></p></div></div></div></div>