Prof Ricky Shi Wei Lee, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Director of the Center for Advanced Microsystems Packaging, delivered the 2014 Calvin W Rice Lecture in November 2014, becoming the first Hong Kong academic to be accorded the honor. 

 

Prof Lee received the accolade from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) in recognition of his contribution to the mechanical engineering community across the world. Prof Lee is a global expert on electronic and light-emitting diode (LED) packaging. He gave the lecture at the annual ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition Conference (IMECE) in Montreal, Canada. The theme of his talk was "A New Silk Road: Evolution and Migration of Electronic and Photonic Packaging Technologies from the West to the East".

 

"I was very happy to have this opportunity to speak to such a prestigious group of engineers and proud to be able to highlight the leading work being carried out at the School and HKUST," Prof Lee said. "The occasion was particularly special because I am the first one from Hong Kong to receive this ASME society level award and I felt so honored to have the privilege to represent HKUST at such an occasion." 

 

Prof Lee launched his academic career after earning a PhD in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from Purdue University in 1992. He joined HKUST in 1993. His research in recent years has involved leading a team to investigate how to achieve high throughput and low-cost manufacturing using advanced LED wafer-level packaging technologies. 

 

As Director of the HKUST LED-FPD Technology R&D Center at Foshan, he also hopes to foster HKUST-developed LED packaging and manufacturing technologies for the solid-state lighting industry in Foshan and neighboring areas for development and commercialization to enhance the region's competitiveness.

 

The Calvin W Rice Lecture Award was established in 1934. Prof Lee was only the second Greater China recipient of the award, following Prof Wei Yang, former President of Zhejiang University.

 

The School of Engineering academic gained further recognition when he received the 2014 IEEE CPMT David Feldman Outstanding Contribution Award for his sustained leadership and service to the Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology (CPMT) Society in a range of areas. Prof Lee served as 2012-13 IEEE CPMT Society President.