Mung Chiang (Chinese: 蒋濛; born February 2, 1977) is a Chinese-American electrical engineer and academic administrator who has been serving as the current and 13th president of Purdue University since 2023. He is the youngest president of a top-50 American university in recent history, taking office at age 45.

Mung Chiang
蒋濛
Chiang in 2013
13th President of Purdue University
Assumed office
January 1, 2023
Preceded byMitch Daniels
6th Science and Technology Adviser to the Secretary of State
In office
December 16, 2019 – December 15, 2020
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byVaughan Turekian
Succeeded byPatricia Gruber
10th Dean of the Purdue University College of Engineering
In office
July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2022
Preceded byLeah Jamieson
Succeeded byMark Lundstrom (acting)
Personal details
Born (1977-02-02) February 2, 1977 (age 47)
Tianjin, China
EducationStanford University (BS, MS, PhD)
AwardsAlan T. Waterman Award (2013)
Guggenheim Fellow (2014)
Scientific career
FieldsElectrical engineering
Computer science
InstitutionsPurdue University
Princeton University
ThesisSolving nonlinear problems in communication systems using geometric programming and dualities (2003)
Doctoral advisorStephen P. Boyd
Thomas M. Cover

Chiang served as executive vice president of Purdue University from 2021 to 2023 and as dean of the Purdue University College of Engineering from 2017 to 2023. Previously at Princeton University, he served as full professor of electrical engineering since 2011 and as faculty member since 2003.

Chiang is credited with 25 U.S. patents, many of which have been adopted and utilized by the communications and networking industry.[1]

Early life and education

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Mung Chiang was born on February 2, 1977, in Tianjin, China.[2] In 1988, when Mung Chiang was 11 years old, his family went to Hong Kong to live with his grandmother. He re-took the fifth grade of primary school at Tak Sun School, a full-time Catholic school for boys, and taught himself Cantonese, Traditional Chinese, and English.[3][4][5]

After primary school, Chiang was admitted to Queen's College through examination by the school's independent admission quota.[3][5] At his final semester in high school in 1995, he took the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination and obtained full A's in all 10 subjects. He was one of the four students of Queen's College that year who attained 10 A's in the exam.[2] After graduating from high school, he traveled to the United States for college education in 1995.[6]

From Stanford University, Chiang received a Bachelor of Science with a double major in electrical engineering and mathematics in 1999, a Master of Science in electrical engineering in 2000, and a Doctor of Philosophy in electrical engineering in 2003.[6]

Career

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Princeton University

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Chiang became an assistant professor at Princeton University in 2004,[7] an associate professor with tenure in 2008,[7] a professor in 2011,[7] and the Arthur LeGrand Doty Professor of Electrical Engineering in 2013.[8] While at Princeton, Chiang founded the Princeton EDGE Lab in 2009.[9]

In 2015, Mung Chiang, along with Helder Antunes and Tao Zhang, met to discuss the creation of a consortium to promote the standardization of fog computing, which eventually was formed as the OpenFog Consortium.[10]

He received the 2016 Distinguished Teaching Award at the Princeton University School of Engineering and Applied Science.[11]

Purdue University

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On May 1, 2017, Purdue University announced that it had chosen Chiang as the next dean of its College of Engineering. He assumed office on July 1, 2017, as the John A. Edwardson Dean of the College of Engineering at Purdue University.[12][13] He was simultaneously appointed the Roscoe H. George Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.[14] At age 40, he was among the youngest in modern history to become the leader of a major college in an American university.[2] Under his leadership, Purdue Engineering became the largest ever top-5 engineering college in the United States and reached milestones in education, research, fund-raising, physical infrastructure, online learning, industry partnership, economic development, global engagement, diversity and visibility.[15] Starting in December 2019, Chiang took a one-year leave of absence to serve as the science and technology adviser to the secretary of state Mike Pompeo on an IPA.[16]

On April 23, 2021, Purdue University named Chiang as Executive Vice President for Strategic Initiatives while continuing to lead the College of Engineering.[17]

On June 10, 2022, the Purdue University Board of Trustees announced its unanimous election of Chiang to become the university's 13th president on January 1, 2023.[18]

Awards and honors

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Publication

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Chiang co-authored a technical undergraduate textbook Networked Life: 20 Questions and Answers (Cambridge University Press, 2012; ISBN 978-1107024946) and a popular science book The Power of Networks: Six Principles That Connect Our Lives (Princeton University Press, 2016; ISBN 9780691183305). The first book received the PROSE Awards in Science and Technology Writing in 2013 from the Association of American Publishers.[34] The second book was mentioned in various popular media, such as in TIME Magazine.[35]

References

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  1. ^ "Announcing the 2024 Honorary Degree Recipients | Dartmouth". home.dartmouth.edu. April 11, 2024. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "学界大牛蒋濛当选普渡大学校长". ShareAmerica.gov (in Simplified Chinese). September 9, 2022. Archived from the original on January 27, 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "普渡大学新校长,是这位45岁华人科学家_澎湃号·湃客_澎湃新闻-The Paper". www.thepaper.cn. Archived from the original on January 27, 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  4. ^ To, Grace (June 13, 2022). "SAR engineer chosen to helm top US uni". The Standard (Hong Kong).
  5. ^ a b "史上首次,45岁计算机大牛蒋濛当选普渡大学校长!". Sina Financial News. Archived from the original on January 27, 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Chiang, Mung (2003). Solving nonlinear problems in communication systems using geometric programming and dualities (Ph.D. thesis). Stanford University. OCLC 83821053. ProQuest 305293131.
  7. ^ a b c Chiang, Mung. "Full biography". Princeton University.
  8. ^ "Faculty chosen for endowed professorships". Princeton University. April 18, 2013.
  9. ^ "Mung Chiang". The Princeton EDGE Lab.
  10. ^ "Prof. Mung Chiang co-creator of consortium on 'Fog' Network". Electrical and Computer Engineering. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Chiang awarded SEAS Distinguished Teaching Award". Princeton University Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. June 16, 2016.
  12. ^ "Research leader tapped as Purdue dean for College of Engineering". Purdue University. May 1, 2017. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
  13. ^ Twigg, Tara (May 1, 2017). "Research Leader Selected as Purdue Dean For College of Engineering". INside Indiana Business.
  14. ^ "2017 Electrical & Computer Engineering Awards". Purdue University College of Engineering. 2017.
  15. ^ "Highlights of Purdue Engineering". Purdue University. Archived from the original on December 3, 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  16. ^ "Purdue engineering dean to spend year in U.S. Department of State on global technology". Purdue University. December 9, 2019.
  17. ^ "Daniels taps Chiang, Bertoline for strategic leadership roles". Purdue University. April 23, 2021.
  18. ^ "Purdue University names Chiang its next president". Purdue University. June 10, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  19. ^ Parker, Hilary (July 9, 2007). "Chiang chosen as ONR Young Investigator". Princeton University.
  20. ^ Parker, Hilary (August 15, 2007). "Chiang honored for world-changing work". Princeton University.
  21. ^ Emery, Chris (January 14, 2009). "Chiang receives Presidential Early Career Award". Princeton University.
  22. ^ "IEEE Kiyo Tomiyasu Award Recipients" (PDF). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 16, 2021. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
  23. ^ "IEEE INFOCOM 2012 Awards". IEEE.
  24. ^ "IEEE Fellows 2012". IEEE Communications Society.
  25. ^ "Alan T. Waterman Award Recipients 1976 - present". National Science Foundation. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  26. ^ Minutes 2013 ASEE Annual Conference ECE Division Business Meeting (PDF). American Society for Engineering Education (Report). June 24, 2013. p. 2.
  27. ^ "Chiang receives IEEE SECON Best Paper Award". Princeton University Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. July 1, 2013.
  28. ^ "Faculty Award: Seven win Guggenheim Fellowships". Princeton University. April 11, 2014.
  29. ^ "Princeton Smart Data Pricing team wins 2014 INFORMS Design Science Award". Princeton University Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. December 19, 2014.
  30. ^ "Three ECE professors elected to fellow status of the National Academy of Inventors". Purdue University. December 8, 2020.
  31. ^ "Purdue engineering dean named an international fellow of Royal Swedish Academy". Purdue University. December 16, 2020.
  32. ^ "Dean Chiang receives IEEE INFOCOM's highest award". Purdue University College of Engineering. May 10, 2022.
  33. ^ "Announcing the 2024 Honorary Degree Recipients". Dartmouth.edu. April 11, 2024. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  34. ^ "2012 PROSE Awards Complete List of Winners". Association of American Publishers. Archived from the original on June 4, 2013. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  35. ^ Brinton, Christopher G.; Chiang, Mung (December 5, 2016). "Why You Can't Always Trust the Wisdom of the Crowd". TIME Magazine.
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