Jie Feng

Jie Feng
Jie Feng
Assistant Professor, Mechanical Science and Eng.
(217) 300-1952
4421 Mechanical Engineering Lab

For More Information

Education

  • BSc Thermal Engineering, Tsinghua University, 2009
  • MSc Thermal Engineering, Tsinghua University, 2011
  • PhD Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, 2016 (Advisor: Howard Stone)

Academic Positions

  • Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Sep. 2016 - Dec. 2018
  • Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Mechanical Science and Engineering, Jul. 2018 - Jan. 2019
  • Assistant Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Mechanical Science and Engineering, Jan. 2019 - present
  • Research Affiliate, Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Sep. 2021 - present

Research Interests

  • Our group, the Fluids, Interface & Transport (FIT) Laboratory, is broadly interested in micro-scale transport phenomena corresponding to structurally complex fluids and interfaces. Our goal is to uncover new insights into the physico-chemical mechanisms and continuum-scale mechanics of multiphase soft matter systems. Ultimately, we aim to develop engineering solutions to some of the pressing challenges in energy, environmental sustainability, and healthcare engineering, such as enhanced oil recovery, mitigation of pollutant and disease transmission, the design of lab-on-a-chip and vesicle-based drug delivery systems. We actively tackle problems and explore new research directions by using microscopy, microfluidics, high-speed imaging and image analysis, materials processing and characterization. We also complement our experiments with theoretical modeling and numerical simulations, using ideas from fluid dynamics, polymer physics, colloidal science and biophysics. The interdisciplinary nature of our work thus bridges engineering, physics, chemistry, materials science, and biology, positioning us at the nexus of fundamental discovery and translational impacts. Our research program is currently structured around three major thrusts, each combining strong fundamental intellectual merit with significant broader impacts: (1) Dynamics of formation, rise, and bursting of contaminated bubbles with structurally complex interfaces, and their implications for pollutant and pathogen transmission; (2) Targeted delivery and controlled release towards a programmable vesicle-based therapeutic delivery system; (3) Thin-film flows and fluid-structure interaction with complex fluids for environmental and advanced microfluidic applications.

Selected Articles in Journals

Patents

  • R. K. Prud'homme, B. Powell, V. Pansare, N. Caggiano, J. Feng, Dihydromyricetin Spray-dried Dispersion Formulations and Methods for Forming them. U.S. Provisional Patent Ser. NO. 62/767,197 filed November 14, 2018.
  • S. Shin, J. T. Ault, J. Feng, H. A. Stone. Zeta Potentiometer Using Diffusiophoresis and Diffusioosmosis. U.S. Provisional Patent Ser. NO. 62/594,871, filed on Dec 5, 2017.
  • J. T. Ault,  S. Shin, H. A. Stone, J. Feng, P. Warren. Methods of Particle Manipulation and Analysis. U.S. Provisional Patent Ser. NO. 16/210,760, filed on Dec 5, 2017.
  • R. K. Prud'homme, J. Feng, K. D. Ristroph, H. Lu, Y. Zhang, S. A. McManus, Cellulosic Polymer Nanoparticles and Methods for Forming them. U.S. Provisional Patent Ser. NO. 62/557,744, filed on Sep 12, 2017.

Professional Societies

  • Member, American Physical Society (APS), 2012-present
  • Member, American Chemical Society (ACS), 2018-present
  • Member, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), 2018-present
  • Member, American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), 2015-present
  • Member, Controlled Release Society (CRS), 2017-present

Teaching Honors

  • List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent - TAM 435 Fall 2024
  • List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent - ME 310 Spring 2024
  • List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent - TAM 435 Fall 2023
  • List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent - ME 310 Spring 2023
  • List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent - TAM 435 Fall 2021

Research Honors

  • Princeton's nominee for Blavatnik Regional Postdoctoral Award (2018)
  • Research Support, Campus Research Board (2019 )
  • ACS PRF Doctoral New Investigator Award (2019 )
  • Soft Matter Emerging Investigator, Soft Matter Journal (2022 )
  • Research Support, Campus Research Board (2024 )
  • RSC Advances Emerging Investigators, RSC Advances Journal (2024 )
  • Nanoscale Emerging Investigator, Nanoscale Journal (2025)

Other Honors

  • Engineering Council Outstanding Advisor Award, The Grainger College of Engineering (2022)

Recent Courses Taught

  • ME 310 AE1 (ME 310 AE2, ME 310 ZJ1, ME 310 OE2) - Fundamentals of Fluid Dynamics
  • TAM 335 ZJU (TAM 335 AE1, TAM 335 AE2, TAM 335 AL1, TAM 335 ZJ1) - Introductory Fluid Mechanics
  • TAM 435 - Intermediate Fluid Mechanics