Prof. CHAN Chak Keung (陳澤強)

Professor Chan obtained BSc in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 1986 and PhD in Chemical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 1992. He is currently Chair Professor in School of Energy and Environment at City University of Hong Kong.  He joined the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) as Assistant Professor in 1992 and rose to the rank of Professor in 2006. In 2010, he was appointed Founding Head of Division of Environment. He was Professor of Division of Environment and Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at HKUST.

Professor Chan has over 30 years of research experience in air pollution and aerosol science.  He specializes in aerosol water uptake and phase transformation, gas-aerosol interactions, the formation of secondary aerosols in the atmosphere, and laser spectroscopy of aerosols. Professor Chan received Haagen Smit Award of Atmospheric Environment in 2015, Second Prize of the State Natural Science Award in 2010, and First Prize of the Natural Science Award in 2007. He was the first winner of the Asian Young Aerosol Scientists Award.  He was Science Advisor to Secretary of Environment, during his sabbatical at the HKSAR Environment Bureau in 2014.  He was an Editor-in-Chief of Atmospheric Environment in 2008-2019.

Professor Chan's group focuses on aerosol chemistry and air pollution. Current research interests include on gas – particle interactions, in particular, the thermodynamics and hygroscopic properties of atmospheric aerosols, as well as aqueous phase and heterogeneous reactions related to the formation of secondary air pollutants.

EDUCATION:

1992     Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, USA
1986     B.S., Chemical Engineering, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA

WORKING EXPERIENCE:

2015.12 – Present            Chair Professor of Atmospheric Environment, City University of Hong Kong (CityU)
2015.12 – 2022.08           Dean of School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong (CityU)
2015.12 – 2018.12           Adjunct Professor, Division of Environment, HKUST
2009.9 – 2015.12             Professor, Division of Environment, HKUST
2014.2 – 2015.1               Science Advisor, Environment Bureau, HKSAR (On sabbatical)
2010.12 – 2013.12           Founding Head, Division of Environment, HKUST
2009.9 – 2010.11             Acting Head, Division of Environment, HKUST
2009.9 – 2013.12             Director, Institute of Environment, HKUST
2006 – 2015.12                Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, HKUST
1999 – 2006                     Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, HKUST
1992 – 1999                     Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, HKUST
1991 – 1992                     Process Engineer, Ralph M. Parsons Company, Pasadena, CA 91124, USA

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:

Journal Editorial Services

• Editor in Chief, Atmospheric Environment, Oct 2008 to Dec 2019
• Member, Editorial Advisory Board, Aerosol Science and Technology, May 2008 to Dec 2018
• Member, Editorial Advisory Board, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Oct 2007 to Dec 2018
• Member, Editorial Advisory Board, Atmospheric and Climatic Sciences, Jun 2011 to present
• Member, Editorial Advisory Board, Aerosol and Air Quality Research, 2005 to 2008, 2011 to present
• Member, Editorial Advisory Board, Atmospheric Environment, 2006 to 2008

Invited Talks (Since 2013)

Gas-particle Interactions: Hygroscopic Properties, Phase transformation and Heterogeneous Reactions of Atmospheric Aerosols. Department of Chemistry, Tokyo Metropolitan University. Dec 18, 2019.

Reactive uptake of glyoxal by ammonium containing salt particles as a function of relative humidity.  Waseda University, Tokyo, Dec 16, 2019.

Water uptake of atmospheric aerosols: from the Millikan oil droplet experiment to the haze in the North China Plain. Master Forum, Chinese University of Hong Kong (ShenZhen).  Shenzhen, Dec 4, 2019.

Heterogeneous SO2 Oxidation in Sulfate Formation by Photolysis of Particulate Nitrate. The 6 th International Conference on Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control. State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, China. Beijing, Nov 4-5. 2019.  

Gas-particle Interactions: Hygroscopic Properties, Phase transformation and Heterogeneous Reactions of Atmospheric Aerosols. 15th International Conference on Atmospheric Sciences and Applications to Air Quality (ASAAQ), Kuala Lumpur, Oct 28-30, 2019.

Aerosol Mass Spectrometer Measurements in Hong Kong. Institute for Environmental and Climate Research,Jinan University, Guangzhou, China. Jul 10, 2019.

Gas-particle Interactions: Hygroscopic Properties, Phase transformation and Heterogeneous Reactions of Atmospheric Aerosols. Korean Aerosol Conference, KAPAR, Yongpyong, Korea. July 3, 2019.

Evaluating Primary Sources & Secondary Formation of Particulate Matter in Hong Kong. Technical seminar, Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, Hong Kong, China. May 8, 2019.

Contribution of cooking emissions to ambient particulate matter (PM). Distinguished lecture, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, China. Jan 4, 2019.

Comparison of Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation from Toluene on Initially Wet and Dry Ammonium Sulfate Particles. AGU JING Meeting 2018, Xi’an, China. Oct 16-20, 2018.

Reactive Uptake of Glyoxal by Ammonium Containing Salt Particles as a Function of Relative Humidity. 4th International Workshop on Heterogeneous Kinetics Related to Atmospheric Aerosols, Takamatsu, Japan. Sep 24, 2018.

Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation from Cooking Emissions. Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, USA. Aug 31, 2018.

Aerosol water content: Detection and role in aerosol chemistry. Workshop on formation, properties and impact of SOA during pollution events, Xi’an, China. Apr 23-27, 2018.

Aerosol water content: Detection and role in aerosol chemistry. Sino-German Symposium on "Bridging Aerosol Chemistry and Health Effects: Challenges and Opportunities for Analytical Chemistry", Jinan University, Guangzhou, China. Mar 20, 2018.

On-road assessment of city buses: Gaseous and particle emission factors of regulated pollutants. Joint workshop with a group of German researchers on air pollution and health, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China. Mar 16, 2018.

Contributions of Cooking Emissions to Ambient Particulate Matter. Technical seminar, Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, Hong Kong, China. Dec 28, 2017.

Insights of air pollution in Hong Kong and China from Real time PM (aerosol) measurements. Arup lunch time sharing on air pollution, Hong Kong, China. Nov 24, 2017.

Diurnal And Day-to-day Characteristics of Ambient Particle Mass Size Distributions From HR-ToF-AMS Measurements At An Urban Site and a Suburban Site in Hong Kong. The 10th Asian Aerosol Conference, Jeju, Korea. Jul 2-6, 2017

Real Time Ambient Measurements of Particulate Matter Distinguished Scholars Workshop: Frontiers in Air Pollution Research: From Observations to Modeling, Chinese University of Hong Kong, China, Jan 9, 2017.

Heterogeneous uptake of short-chain alkyl amine by atmospherically relevant particles. The 2nd International Workshop on Heterogeneous Kinetics Related to Atmospheric Aerosols, Tsukuba, Japan. Nov 12-14, 2016.

Aerosol Mass Spectrometry Measurements in Hong Kong.  The 12^th National Aerosol Conference and the 13^th Cross-strait Workshop for Aerosol Science & Technology, Chong Qing, China. Oct 22-25, 2015.

Simultaneous HTDMA and HR-ToF-AMS Measurements at the HKUST Supersite in Hong Kong in 2011 and 2012. The 9^th Asian Aerosol Conference, Kanazawa, Japan. June 24-27, 2015.

Atmospheric Aerosols and Water. Global Innovation Research Organization Open Seminar. Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo. June 19, 2015.

Aqueous Phase Reactions in Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation. Workshop on Photochemical Smog in China: Formation, transformation, impact and abatement strategies, co-organized by Gothenburg University and Peking University, Beijing. May 18-20, 2015.

Real time characterization of ambient aerosol in Hong Kong by high resolution aerosol mass spectrometry. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Jan 23, 2015.

Real-time characterization of Particulate Matter (PM) in Hong Kong’s air? Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department, Hong Kong. Dec 23, 2014.

Real time aerosol mass spectrometry measurements in Hong Kong. Institute of Agriculture (Graduate School of Agriculture) Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan. Oct 7, 2014.

The HKUST Air Quality Research Supersite. The21th International Conference on Aerosol and Science Technology / Conference on Management Strategies and Monitoring of PM2.5. National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. September 26-27, 2014

Real time aerosol mass spectrometry measurements in Hong Kong. The 1st International Energy and Environment Conference, Korean Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, South Korea. Oct 1-3, 2014.

Raman spectroscopy of aerosol particles: applications in water uptake, phase transformation and reaction studies.  Department of Chemistry, Inha University, Incheon, South Korea. Sept 30, 2014

Researches at HKUST on Photochemical Smog in China. Symposium on Photochemical Smog in China: Formation, transformation, impact and abatement strategies, Gothenburg University, Sweden. May 9, 2014

Raman spectroscopy of aerosol particles.  Department of Applied Environmental Science and Bert Bolin Center for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Sweden. May 5, 2014

Air Pollution in Hong Kong – A Story of Earth, Wind, Fire and Water. Macquarie Securities Group | Macquarie Bank Limited, Hong Kong Branch. April 3, 2014.

Summary of results from Hong Kong Supersite Study. Plenary Talk. The 4th International Workshop on Regional Air Quality Management in Rapidly Developing Economic Regions. Theme: Regional air quality management: from science to policy, Hong Kong, China. January 14‐17, 2014.

The HKUST Air Quality Research Supersite.  Keynote Talk, 8^th Asian Aerosol Conference, Sydney, Australia. Dec 5, 2013.

Sustainability Education in Hong Kong. American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. Aug 6, 2013

Studies of gas-particle interactions by single particle levitation. Sino-German Workshop on Coupling of Model and Experiment in Fine Particle Technology, hosted by Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and China Jiliang University, Hangzhou,China.April 5, 2013.

Evaluating the degree of oxygenation of organic aerosols during foggy and hazy days in Hong Kong using high resolution time of flight aerosol mass spectrometry (HR-TOF-AMS). Chinese Society of Particuology, Annual Meeting, Wuhan, China. May 18, 2013.

Air Pollution in Hong Kong. Roundtables Towards Cross-Disciplinary Network on Sustainability Education at Higher Education Level, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. Jan 10, 2013.

Hong Kong SAR Committee

• Science Advisor to the Secretary of Environment in HKSAR (Feb 2014 – Jan 2015)
• Member, Physical Science Panel, HK Research Grants Council (Nov 2012 – June 2018)
• Member, Environment and Conservation Fund Committee (Oct 2006 to Oct 2010)
• Research Projects Vetting Sub-committee, Environment and Conservation Fund (Oct 04 - Oct 08)
• Member, Environmental Projects Vetting Committee, Innovation and Technology Support Programme, Innovation and Technology Fund
• (Member Jan 03 - Dec   04)
• Member, Technology Sub-group of the Advisory Group on Waste Management Facilities, Environmental Protection Department (Nov 02 – Oct 04)
• Member, Gas Safety Appeal Board Panel Members, Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (23 Aug 03 - 22 Aug 06)