Rate My Professor Xueming Chen

Xueming (Jimmy) Chen is a professor and program chair of the Urban and Regional Studies and Planning Program at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, Virginia Commonwealth University. He earned a B.Sc. in Urban and Regional Planning from Nanjing University in 1982, an M.Sc. in the same field from Nanjing University in 1985, and a Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Southern California in 1991. Chen began his academic career teaching in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at California State University, Northridge from 1993 to 2007, during which he also served briefly in the Department of Planning, Policy, and Design at the University of California, Irvine from 2006 to 2007. Additionally, he was a committee member of the Transportation Research Board for the National Research Council from 2002 to 2006. Joining Virginia Commonwealth University as an associate professor in 2007, he received tenure in 2011 and was promoted to full professor effective July 1, 2021. Under his leadership as program chair, the Master of Urban and Regional Planning program marked its 50th anniversary in 2023, highlighting its legacy in research, instruction, service, and professional development for sustainable urban communities.

Chen's academic interests center on transportation policy and planning, travel demand forecasting models, GIS applications, and international urban planning, particularly comparative analyses between the United States and China. His notable publications include the book 'Building Resilient Cities in China: The Nexus between Planning and Disaster Risk Reduction,' co-authored with Qisheng Pan; 'Age-Friendly Transportation Policies and Practices in the U.S. and China: A Comparative Study' (2024); 'How to Make BTOD More Successful?' (2023); 'Public Transit Agency's Management Strategies during the COVID-19 Pandemic' (2023); and 'A Comparative Study on the U.S. and Chinese Transportation Policies and Practices for Elderly Mobility' (2023). Among his honors are three Outstanding Professor Awards from the Department of Urban Studies and Planning and the Urban Studies and Planning Association of Students at California State University, Northridge. Through his scholarship and program leadership, Chen contributes significantly to advancing equitable and resilient urban transportation systems.