Chen Junyi, class of 2026 in Mechanical Engineering student at ZJUI, has received the National Scholarship and Zhejiang University's First-Class Scholarship for three consecutive years. He has also earned UIUC's highest undergraduate academic honor, the Bronze Tablet, and been named an Outstanding Graduate of Zhejiang Province. Behind these distinctions are four years of steady growth.
What impressed Chen most about ZJUI's curriculum was its close connection to real-world engineering. Students learned modern tools such as Fusion and used them in project-based assignments to turn ideas into workable designs. Team projects and presentations also taught him that engineering requires more than technical knowledge. Communication, time management, and collaboration matter just as much.
ZJUI also emphasizes conceptual understanding over rote memorization. "Tools can handle the derivations," Chen said. "What matters is whether you understand the problem, know which method to use, and can judge whether the result makes sense."
Chen did not arrive at ZJUI with a fixed path in mind. Through courses, competitions, and project-based learning, he gradually developed an interest in mechanics and robotics. An overseas exchange during his junior year gave him the opportunity to explore these interests in a research setting and further clarify the questions he hoped to pursue.
At a Research Fair during his overseas exchange, he discovered Professor Mattia Gazzola's lab. The group’s research on soft robotics, bio-inspired locomotion, and flexible-structure control caught his attention. Chen reached out to the group and began a year-long project on modular pneumatic soft robots.
In the lab, he contributed to the design and testing of both serpentine soft robots and a caterpillar-inspired soft robot for obstacle traversal. He adjusted pneumatic parameters, analyzed experimental data, and contributed to motion-data processing algorithms. Because a soft robot’s behavior depends on its structure, materials, actuation, and contact with the environment, even small changes could produce very different results. Through repeated testing and refinement, he experienced the full research process for the first time, from posing a question and building a prototype to conducting experiments and interpreting the results.
"That year moved me from working through well-defined classroom problems to investigating open-ended research questions," he said. It also confirmed his decision to pursue a PhD.
After returning to ZJUI, Chen focused his undergraduate thesis on modulus-guided buckling in two-photon-printed hydrogel microstructures under the supervision of Assistant Professor Shi Ye of ZJUI, Professor Qu Shaoxing and Dr. Chen Zhe of the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Zhejiang University. He modeled the relationship between printing parameters and mechanical properties and used COMSOL simulations to study how variations in elastic modulus affected buckling behavior. The project extended his interest from macroscale soft robots to microscale mechanics and prepared him for doctoral study in solid mechanics.
Chen's undergraduate years extended beyond academics. During his first summer vacation, he volunteered as a teacher in Jingdong, Yunnan. The experience reshaped his understanding of education. To him, education is not only about passing on knowledge, but also about building confidence and helping young people imagine broader possibilities.
He also served as class president throughout all four years. The role meant more than relaying announcements or organizing events. It required listening to classmates' concerns and acting as a liaison between them and ZJUI. By graduation, he had gained lasting friendships and a strong sense of belonging.
Competitions were another part of his early exploration. As a freshman, he earned the honor of Meritorious Winner in the Mathematical Contest in Modeling. He later, as technical lead, won a national silver award at the 2023 China International College Students' Innovation Competition.
"Competitions are valuable in the early undergraduate years," he said. "But if you want to go deeper in your field, especially if you plan to pursue graduate study, I would recommend joining a research group early and committing to sustained research."
Although he received a direct-entry PhD offer in Mechanical Engineering from Tsinghua University, Chen ultimately chose the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Zhejiang University, where he will continue his studies in solid mechanics and interdisciplinary research.
From mechanical engineering to solid mechanics, and from classroom learning to independent research, Chen has moved forward with patience and purpose. He is finding his own bearings in mechanics as new questions draw him toward the next stage of his journey.
