Some of the latest awards and honors accorded to members of HKUST, and new appointments

Faculty

►Prof Albert Wong, Prof Tim Woo and Research Assistant Mr Kobe Lam, Electronic and Computer Engineering, received a Gold Award in the Web Accessibility Recognition Scheme 2014 for their Auditory and Speech Training App for hearing-impaired children. The app uses Android-based mobile technologies which revolutionize existing paper-based auditory training tools.

►Prof Benzhong Tang, Stephen Kam Chuen Cheong Professor of Science and Chair Professor of Chemistry, has received the  KIA Laureate Khwarizmi International Award (Second Class), organized by Iran’s Ministry of Science and Technology and the Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology.  Prof Tang was named a KIA laureate for basic research involving the creation of new materials with novel molecular structures and unique functional properties, and aggregation-induced emission characteristics.

►Prof Charles Ng, Chair Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and his research team have received a 2013 Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Award (Science and Technology): Scientific and Technological Progress, First Class, from the Ministry of Education for the geotechnical project “Theory and Key Technology of the Stability and Deformation Control During the Whole Process of Large and Deep Excavation in Coastal Area”.

►The cloud-based content distribution network “Streamphony”, co-developed by HKUST and Mei Ah Entertainment Group Limited, won the Hong Kong ICT 2014 Best SME (Cloud) Technology Gold Award, in recognition of its innovative use of the latest cloud infrastructure and technologies.  The University team led by Prof Gary Shueng Han Chan, Department of Computer Science and Engineering and Associate Director of the Multimedia Technology Research Center, has collaborated with Mei Ah Entertainment since 2008.  Streamphony was first commercialized in 2012.

►Postdoctoral Fellow Dr Tian Fang, Computer Science and Engineering, received a  2013 Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Award (Science and Technology): Natural Sciences, Second Class, from the Ministry of Education for research carried out on “Theories and Methods of Earth Surface Feature Modeling and Visualization Based on Multi-Sensor Spatial Data”, in collaboration with Mainland researchers.

►Prof Tianshou Zhao, Chair Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, received the School of Engineering Distinguished Research Excellence Award for his seminal contributions to the areas of fuel cells, flow batteries, multi-scale multiphase heat and mass transport with electrochemical reactions, and computational-modeling. Prof Hong Kam Lo, Associate Dean of Engineering (Undergraduate Studies) and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, received the School of Engineering Research Excellence Award. 
 

►The course “Technology and Innovation: Social and Business Perspectives” (ISOM 1380) and its instructional team comprising of Prof Yongsuk Kim, Prof Jeevan Jaisingh, Prof Sejoon Hong and Mr Himson Wu received the Common Core Course Excellence Award 2013. The course is offered by the Department of Information Systems, Business Statistics and Operations Management.

Students

►Samantha Kong, Year 3, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (right) and Phoebe Lam, Year 1, School of Science, received Top 10 Outstanding Youth Awards for their achievements in personal development, leadership and social service under the HKSAR Government’s Outstanding Youth Commendation Scheme, jointly organized by the Home Affairs Bureau and the Commission on Youth. Samantha also received the Social Service Award.

►Ho Tat Lam, Year 2, Physics, received the champion accolade in the Mr Armin and Mrs Lillian Kitchell Undergraduate Research Award. The award is open to students participating in HKUST’s signature Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, which provides early experience in academic research and its associated culture. 

►PhD student Adetoyese Olajire Oyedun, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 2013 graduate Dr Denis Guangyin Chen, Electronic and Computer Engineering, and 2013 graduate Dr Biao Zhang, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, received the School of Engineering PhD Research Excellence Awards 2013-14.

►A team of School of Business and Management undergraduates have won the 2014 Scotiabank International Case Competition, outperforming their peers from other top business schools around the world.  

►An MBA team from the School of Business and Management has topped Columbia Business School’s sixth annual Odyssey Global MBA Competition.

►A team of HKUST MBA students outperformed their peers from the business schools of eight top-ranked institutes including Yale University and University of Chicago, and won the Grand Prize at the Marshall Global Consulting Challenge. The annual business case competition organized by the University of Southern California (USC) is designed to challenge the minds and problem-solving abilities of the best MBA students around the world.

►HKUST Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) team, comprising 14 students from different departments, won the Explorer Class championship at The IET/MATE Hong Kong Underwater Robot Challenge 2014. The team will go forward to the international finals in Michigan, US in June.
 

Fellows, members

►Five School of Engineering professors have received prestigious fellowships: Prof Ravindra Goonetilleke, Industrial Engineering and Logistics Management, has become the first member from Hong Kong and Greater China to be elected a Fellow of the US Human Factors and Ergonomics Society; Prof Ricky Lee, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, has been elected a Fellow of the International Microelectronics Assembly and Packaging Society; Prof Christopher Leung, Civil and Environmental Engineering, has become a Fellow of the Institution of Structural Engineers and the Institution of Civil Engineers; Prof Jianan Qu, Electronic and Computer Engineering, has been elected a Fellow of the International Society of Optics and Photonics; Prof Tongyi Zhang, Chair Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, has been elected a Fellow and Vice-President of the International Congress on Fracture – The World Academy of Structural Integrity.

►Dr Joseph K Kwan, Director of Health, Safety and Environment, has been named a Fellow by the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

Appointments

►Prof Jingshen Wu, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, has been appointed Dean of Xi’an Jiaotong University-HKUST Joint School of Sustainable Development, with effect from 1 June.

►Prof Jitendra V Singh, has been appointed as Dean of the School of Business and Management, effective on 1 September.  He is currently Saul P Steinberg Professor of Management at Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.  

►Mr Mark Hodgson has been appointed Vice-President for Administration and Business.  Mr Hodgson has over 26 years’ experience in senior finance and administrative positions and is currently Chief Financial Officer at Aston University in the UK.  He will take up his new position in September.

►Prof Patrick Yue, Electronic and Computer Engineering and Founding Director of the Center for Internship and Engagement, has taken up the new post of Associate Provost for Knowledge Transfer. 

►Prof Roger Cheng, Electronic and Computer Engineering and Associate Dean (Undergraduate Studies and Student Affairs), will assume the post of Associate Provost (Teaching & Learning) on 1 July. He will take up the role on the retirement of Dr David Mole.