Biography

Professor Gang Chen is globally recognised as a pioneering figure in the field of power engineering, particularly for his seminal contributions to nanoscale heat transfer and energy sciences, and whose achievements in advancing a wide range of technologies have had a profound impact on both the scientific community and society at large.

He holds BS and MS degrees in Power Engineering from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. His doctoral study, supervised by then Chancellor Chang-Lin Tien, was supported by a K C Wong Education Foundation Fellowship in Hong Kong. Professor Chen was on the faculty of Duke University and UCLA before joining the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he was appointed Warren and Towneley Rohsenow Professor from 2006 to 2009, and served as Head of the MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering from 2013 to 2018. He is currently the Carl Richard Soderberg Professor of Power Engineering at MIT, directing both the Pappalardo Micro/Nano Engineering Laboratory and the Rohsenow-Kendall Heat and Mass Transfer Laboratory.

Professor Chen has made pioneering contributions to nanoscale energy transport and conversion, driving advances in energy, materials, and water technologies. His foundational research opened new grounds in heat transfer. He has authored a book, published over 500 technical papers, and he holds around 50 patents. He is also deeply respected as a prolific and generous educator, nurturing the next generation of bold and innovative scientists.

He has received numerous prestigious awards for his stellar contributions to science and society, and been awarded honorary fellowships by many distinguished scientific associations around the world, including inter alia, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the US National Academy of Sciences, and Academia Sinica.

In recognition of Professor Chen’s contributions to his discipline, higher education and society, the University has resolved to confer upon him the degree of Doctor of Science honoris causa.