CV

Postdoctoral Researcher

Dynamics Lab & STAIRLab (STructural Artificial Intelligence Research Lab), UC Berkeley

Research on sensing, system identification, and modeling of mechanical and structural systems.

• Lead instrumentation, signal processing, and data analysis for kinematic motion tracking.
• Apply inverse dynamic analysis to coupled human-object biomechanical systems using multi-node IMU sensor networks with strap-down integration and magnetic field mapping; led experiment design, sensor placement, and data collection.
• Developed network analysis methodology and Python analysis code to identify the causal body-segment motions driving induced object motion (Nonlinear Dynamics, submitted 2026).
• Build finite element models to generate analytical benchmarks, validating system-identification methods across experimental, field, and FEA-simulated structural response data.
• Evaluate system identification prediction residuals and modal clustering for anomaly detection and early-warning structural health monitoring under environmental and seismic loads.
• Supervise graduate and undergraduate researchers in data-driven system dynamics.

Graduate Student Researcher

STAIRLab & Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER), UC Berkeley

Bridge Rapid Assessment Center for Extreme Events (BRACE2), Structural ImageNet, and feature engineering for structural health monitoring.

• Developed California's production web platform for automated bridge health monitoring (Caltrans).
• Performed system identification and finite element modeling of bridges and buildings.
• Developed machine learning anomaly detection for bridge damage diagnosis within a human-machine collaboration framework (Journal of Bridge Engineering, 2024).
• Developed deep learning image classification models for structural health monitoring.
• Built feature engineering pipelines for damage classification from augmented structural response time-history data.

Lecturer (Instructor of Record)

L&S 110 — The Brilliance of Berkeley, UC Berkeley

Instructor of record for L&S 110, a course showcasing UC Berkeley faculty keynotes.

• Open and close each class meeting as instructor of record.
• Assign grades, advise students, prepare course materials, and facilitate discussions.
• Coordinate and serve as point of contact for guest speakers.
• Supervise student readers.

Program Strategist, Research Mentorship and Student Impact

Berkeley Discovery Initiative, UC Berkeley

Design and assess tiered mentorship and immersive research programs that give students ownership over creation and innovation.

• Co-developed an interdisciplinary research mentorship program spanning 8 research hubs, 30+ graduate fellows, and 170 undergraduates.
• Led survey and focus-group assessment and co-secured $170k in continuing funding.

Staff I, Building Technology

Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc.

Building enclosure engineering, simulation, and field testing in Washington, DC.

• Performed parametric energy, daylighting, and thermal finite element analysis (2D/3D) of curtain wall, cladding, and custom skylight assemblies.
• Conducted infrared thermography surveys and analysis for non-destructive diagnostics.
• Performed on-site water penetration and air infiltration testing of installed cladding assemblies per ASTM, AAMA, and ASHRAE standards, including instrumented pressure-chamber test setup, acceptance-criteria evaluation, and leak-path diagnosis.
• Analyzed wind loads on components and cladding per structural code.

Undergraduate Researcher

MIT Digital Structures Lab

Experimental characterization of fine-resolution anisotropic material properties of 3D printed materials via ASTM tensile testing.

Engineering Intern

Dassault Systemes SOLIDWORKS Corp.

CAD and FEA software testing in Woodland Hills, CA.

• Investigated user-reported software issues across Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) products for the SOLIDWORKS 2015 Beta program.
• Contributed to the redesign of the engineering technical support knowledge base.

PhD

University of California, Berkeley

Structural Engineering, Mechanics, and Materials

• Thesis: Digital Twin Framework for Vibration-Based Structural Health Monitoring (Advisor: Khalid M. Mosalam)
• Major focus: structural mechanics and dynamics, linear and nonlinear structural analysis, finite element methods, performance-based engineering and design
• Minor focus: artificial intelligence, machine learning, control systems, and scientific computing

MS

University of California, Berkeley

Structural Engineering, Mechanics, and Materials

• Thesis: Deep Learning for Transmission Tower Structural Health Monitoring in Small Datasets

BS

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mechanical Engineering

• Mechanical systems, thermodynamics, and design

UC Berkeley Future of Higher Education Postdoctoral Fellowship

University of California, Berkeley

$140k fellowship, 2024-present.

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP)

National Science Foundation

$160k fellowship, 2020-2024.

Priscilla King Gray Public Service Center Expedition Grant

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

$10k grant.

Intel Scholarship

Intel

$4k scholarship.

On Complex Modal Inverse Analysis: The Cautionary Tale of the Single Surviving Mode

ASME Journal of Applied Mechanics (in press, 2026)

Chrystal Chern and Oliver M. O'Reilly.

The Symphony of Gyrations Producing Steady Motions of a Hula Hoop: Insights from a Network Analysis

Nonlinear Dynamics (submitted May 2026)

Chrystal Chern, Theresa E. Honein, and Oliver M. O'Reilly.

Structural Response Prediction from Learned System Realization Matrices

11th International Conference on Experimental Vibration Analysis of Civil Engineering Structures (EVACES)

Chrystal Chern, Claudio Perez, and Khalid Mosalam.

Cross-Sectional Study of Physics-Informed Bridge Health Identification

IABEE Fourth International Bridge Seismic Workshop (4IBSW)

Chrystal Chern and Khalid Mosalam.

Human-Machine Collaboration Framework for Bridge Health Monitoring

Journal of Bridge Engineering, 29(7), 04024041

Sifat Muin, Chrystal Chern, and Khalid Mosalam.

mdof: open-source package for system identification

Zenodo (v0.0.16-alpha)

Chrystal Chern, Claudio Perez, and Khalid Mosalam.

Digital Twin Framework for Vibration-Based Structural Health Monitoring

PhD Dissertation, UC Berkeley

Chrystal Chern.

BRACE2: Bridge Rapid Assessment Center for Extreme Events, Phase I Final Report

Caltrans Technical Report No. CA24-3703

Chrystal Chern, Claudio Perez, and Khalid Mosalam.

Human-Machine Collaboration Framework for Bridge Health Monitoring

SMIP20 Seminar on Utilization of Strong-Motion Data Proceedings, pp. 100-127

Sifat Muin, Chrystal Chern, and Khalid Mosalam.

Deep Learning for Transmission Tower Structural Health Monitoring in Small Datasets

MS Research Report, UC Berkeley

Chrystal Chern.

Detecting Inelasticity in Seismic Data with Time Response System Identification

Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing (in preparation)

Naiqi Guo, Chrystal Chern, and Khalid Mosalam.

Modal Clustering for Digital Twinning of Civil Infrastructure

Journal of Engineering Mechanics (in preparation)

Chrystal Chern and Khalid Mosalam.

Research Mentor

UC Berkeley SEMM & CEE Scholars Programs

Designed and supervised structural health monitoring and sensor projects for 5 undergraduate researchers.

Founder & President

UC Berkeley SEMM-DSR (Doctoral Students and Researchers Organization)

Founded and led the doctoral students and researchers organization for Structural Engineering, Mechanics, and Materials.

Technical Reviewer

Resilient Cities and Structures; Computers and Structures; Computer-Aided Civil and Infrastructure Engineering

Peer reviewer for journals in structural engineering and computing.

Malawi Project Manager & Fundraising Chair

MIT Engineers Without Borders

Managed an international development engineering project and chapter fundraising.

BRACE2: Bridge Rapid Assessment Center for Extreme Events

California's production web platform for automated bridge health monitoring, developed for Caltrans with system identification and finite element modeling of high-value structural assets.

• System identification
• Structural health monitoring
• Production web platform

mdof

Open-source Python package for system identification from vibration data.

• Python
• System identification
• Open source