King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Dean, Physical Sciences and Engineering Division

Chak Chan, PhD named Dean of the Physical Sciences and Engineering division at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST.)

Chan has previously served as Dean and Chair Professor in the School of Energy and Environment at City University of Hong Kong (CityU). He has held academic leadership positions at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and CityU.  He previously served as Editor-in-Chief of at Atmospheric Environment from 2008 to 2019 and was the first EIC from outside of Europe and North America in the journal’s 60-year history.

His research focus also aligns well with the activities at KAUST surrounding climate, livability, and sustainability, and his expertise will be valuable to the Kingdom’s priorities. Trained as a chemical engineer, Chan’s research focuses on air pollution and atmospheric chemistry. He specializes in aerosol water uptake and phase transformation, gas-aerosol interactions, and the formation of secondary aerosols in the atmosphere. He received the Haagen Smit Award for Atmospheric Environment in 2015. Chan has published over 250 academic research papers that have been cited over 20,00 times.

Chan has rich experiences in the recruitment, mentoring, development, and retention of faculty members and has worked closely with multidisciplinary teams of faculty members. He brings significant experience in mentoring faculty with a vision towards sharpening research and fostering industrial and government collaborations.

Chan holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas, Austin, and earned his PhD from Caltech.

Sean Farrell and Peter Lange led this search with Haley Burrowes and Clay Batley.