The Council of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) today (21 April) announced the appointment of Prof. Timothy W. Tong, currently Dean of School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) at the George Washington University in the United States, as its new President with effect from 1 January 2009. Prof. Tong will succeed Prof. Poon Chung-kwong who will be retiring from the Presidency at the end of the year after completing 18 years of distinguished service at PolyU.
Prof. Tong was born and raised in Hong Kong. After completing his secondary education at Christian College, he pursued further studies in the United States where he received his B.S degree in Mechanical Engineering from Oregon State University in 1976; M.S. and PhD in the same discipline from the University of California at Berkeley in 1978 and 1980. He completed his doctoral study under the supervision of the late prominent educator Prof. Tien Chang-lin.
A well accomplished academic in the field of mechanical engineering, Prof. Tong has authored/co-authored seven books and conference proceedings and published more than 80 technical articles in international journals. Many of his publications are highly cited internationally. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a Fellow of International Thermal Conductivity Conference.
He started his academic career in 1980 at the University of Kentucky and served in different capacities at Arizona State University, Sandia National Laboratories and National Science Foundation. Before taking up his present position at George Washington University, he served as Professor and Head of Mechanical Engineering Department at the Colorado State University.
He was voted, for three consecutive years from 1994 to 1996, as Teacher of the Year by the Arizona State University Chapter of Pi Tau Sigma, and received the Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award from the Society of Automotive Engineers in recognition of his teaching innovation.
During the eight years when he serves as Dean of SEAS, the School has grown from strength to strength. The School, with an annual budget of about US$50 Million, has 230 full-time and part-time faculty members and approximately 2,500 students – almost 80 per cent are postgraduate students. Under his Deanship, SEAS substantially boosted the number of its student enrollment as well as their quality and thus significantly improved its financial situation. Furthermore, the School’s annual external research funding also increased by about 40 per cent, and more than US$50 million donation was raised. In 2004, the School ranked 16th on the number of master’s degrees awarded in engineering. It ranked first in the percentage of engineering doctoral degrees awarded to women in the US.
Prof. Tong substantially expanded the School’s internship initiative so that all students would graduate with appropriate work experience. He also established a Council on Entrepreneurial Tech Transfer and Commercialization to create an entrepreneurial culture among students, faculty and alumni.
Prof. Tong also provided consultancy services to many major corporations and research institutions such as Lockheed, McDonnell Douglas, Motorola, FMC and Oakridge National Laboratory, etc. He was Program Director of the US National Science Foundation where he established a jointly funded programme by the Foundation and Sandia National Laboratory. He was Acting Director of Center for Energy Systems Research at Arizona State University.
Prof. Tong has been actively involved in the work of many academic and professional organizations. Major organizations he has served or is still serving include the US National Science Foundation Engineering Advisory Committee and the Board of Trustees of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation, the School of Engineering Advisory Committee and Mechanical Engineering Advisory Committee of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He is the Chairman of the Executive Committee of Heat Transfer Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Just to name a few.
Prof. Tong has been collaborating with universities in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland and thus understands well the higher education landscapes in the region. He has also been very active in fostering academic collaboration internationally. He fully supports the vision of PolyU to become a leading university with emphasis on the application value of its programmes and research.
The Search Committee for President is most impressed with Prof. Tong’s passion and enthusiasm to contribute to the development of the higher education sector in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, his vision and commitment to lead PolyU to becoming a leading university in the world; his personable, consultative and caring style of leadership; as well as his sensitivity and commitment to holistic student development. While Prof. Tong has excellent social networks in the US, his strong communication and interpersonal skill and outstanding leadership should enable him to quickly integrate into the local community.
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Press Contact: Mr David Poon
Director of Communications and Public Affairs
Tel:2766 5100
