Deborah Chung

Early life and education

Chung was born and raised in Hong Kong. Her mother was Rebecca Chan Chung (United States World War II veteran with the Flying Tigers and the United States Army in China), whose mother was Lee Sun Chau (one of the first female doctors of Western Medicine in China).

Chung studied at Ying Wa Girls' School and King's College (Hong Kong). She moved to the United States in 1970 and received a B.S. degree in Engineering and Applied Science and an M.S. degree in Engineering Science from California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 1973. At Caltech, she conducted research under the supervision of Pol Duwez. She, along with Sharon R. Long, are among the four first women to receive B.S. degrees from Caltech.

Chung received a Ph.D. degree in Materials Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1977. Her thesis, which was on graphite intercalation compounds, was supervised by Mildred S. Dresselhaus.

Career and awards

In 1977, Chung joined the faculty of Carnegie Mellon University, where she taught materials science and electrical engineering.

In 1986, she joined the faculty of University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, where she directs the Composite Materials Research Laboratory and was named Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation Endowed Chair Professor in 1991. In 1991, she became Fellow of the American Carbon Society. In 1998, she became Fellow of ASM International (society). She received the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities from State University of New York in 2003 and was named Outstanding Inventor by State University of New York in 2002. In 1993, she was honored as "Teacher of the Year" by Tau Beta Pi (New York Nu). Chung was the first American woman and the first person of Chinese descent to receive the Charles E. Pettinos Award, in 2004; the award was in recognition of her work on functional carbons for thermal, electromagnetic and sensor applications. In 2005, she received the Hsun Lee Lecture Award from Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences. In 2011, she received an Honorary Doctorate Degree from University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain. In addition, Chung received the Robert Lansing Hardy Gold Medal from American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers (AIME) in 1980.

Scope

The main theme of Chung research is composite materials, with emphasis on multifunctional structural materials, materials for thermal management and electronic packaging, materials for electromagnetic interference shielding, structural materials for vibration damping, and structural materials for thermoelectricity. Chung invented "smart concrete" (concrete that can sense its own condition), nickel nanofiber (also known as nickel filament, for electromagnetic interference shielding) and conformable thermal paste (for improving thermal contacts, with applications in microelectronic cooling). Chung is highly productive in scientific research, with research funding provided mainly by the Federal government of the United States.

Books

Chung is the author of Carbon Composites, 2nd Edition, Elsevier, 2016, Functional Materials, World Scientific, 2010, and Composite Materials: Science and Applications, 2nd Edition, Springer, 2010. She is the Editor of two book series, The Road to Scientific Success and Engineering Materials for Technological Needs.

Professional leadership

Chung is among 100 scientists featured in the book Successful Women Ceramic and Glass Scientists and Engineers: 100 Inspirational Profiles. She has been interviewed by the news media concerning various scientific topics including conductive concrete for melting snow, smart concrete, and batteries.

Chung is Associate Editor of the Journal of Electronic Materials and is a member of the Editorial Board of the Carbon journal, a member of the Editorial Board of the New Carbon Materials journal, and an Editor of Carbon Letters. She also served as the Chair of the 21st Biennial Conference on Carbon held in Buffalo, New York, in 1993. Moreover, she was a member of the Advisory Committee of the American Carbon Society. In addition, Chung serves as a reviewer for a large number of scientific research journals.

Patents

Chung is the inventor in numerous issued patents related to cement, carbon, ceramics and composites. Recent patents include the following.

D.D.L. Chung, “Thixotropic liquid-metal-based fluid and its use in making metal-based structures with or without a mold”, U.S. Patent Application 2016/0368244 A1; China Patent pending; Hong Kong patent

D.D.L. Chung and Xiaoqing Gao, “Microstructured high-temperature hybrid material, its composite material and method of making”, U.S. Patent 9409823.

D.D.L. Chung and Sivaraja Muthusamy, “Cement-Graphite Composite Materials for Vibration Damping”, U.S. Patent 8,211,227 (2012).

Research journal publications

According to the Web of Science, Chung has over 570 scientific publications, with annual citations reaching 1400 and h-index reaching 60. Her scientific journal publications since 2016 are listed below.

Teaching

Chung is a dedicated teacher of materials science both in the classroom and in the research laboratory. Her courses include Principles of Material Design, Experimental Methods in Materials Science and Engineering and Smart Materials. Most of her research has involved graduate students, but she also supervises undergraduate research. Graduate students involved in authoring the above recent publications are Po-Hsiu Chen, Andi Wang, Yoshihiro Takizawa, Xinghua Hong, Asma A. Eddib, and Ailipati Delixiati. Undergraduate students involved in authoring the above recent publications are Miguel Ramirez and Chi Xu. In addition, Chung shares her life experience with students, particularly international students.

Historical work

Chung is a co-author of the book Piloted to Serve, an autobiography of her mother, Rebecca Chan Chung (1920-2011), a nurse with the Flying Tigers, United States Army and China National Aviation Corporation during World War II. Chung's historical work pertains to modern Chinese history, as centered around her mother Rebecca Chan Chung and grandmother Lee Sun Chau (1890-1979). Chau was one of the earliest Chinese female doctors of Western Medicine in China.

Speaking

Chung speaks broadly on topics related to science and history. The venues include conferences, universities, and community events. In July 2017, Chung will be a Keynote Speaker in the 2017 International Carbon Conference to be held in Sydney, Australia.