Jin Au Kong (
Traditional Chinese
A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...
: 孔金甌;
Simplified Chinese
Simplification, Simplify, or Simplified may refer to:
Mathematics
Simplification is the process of replacing a mathematical expression by an equivalent one, that is simpler (usually shorter), for example
* Simplification of algebraic expressions, ...
: 孔金瓯), (27 December 1942 – 13 March 2008) was an American expert in applied
electromagnetics
In physics, electromagnetism is an interaction that occurs between particles with electric charge. It is the second-strongest of the four fundamental interactions, after the strong force, and it is the dominant force in the interactions of ...
. He was a 74th-generation lineal descendant of the famous Chinese philosopher
Confucius
Confucius ( ; zh, s=, p=Kǒng Fūzǐ, "Master Kǒng"; or commonly zh, s=, p=Kǒngzǐ, labels=no; – ) was a Chinese philosopher and politician of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. C ...
(551 BC – 479 BC).
Biography
Kong was born in Gaochun,
Jiangsu Province
Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its ca ...
. He received his BS from the
National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University (NTU; ) is a public research university in Taipei, Taiwan.
The university was founded in 1928 during Japanese rule as the seventh of the Imperial Universities. It was named Taihoku Imperial University and served d ...
in 1962, his MS from the
National Chiao Tung University
National Chiao Tung University (NCTU; ) was a public research university located in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Established in 1896 as Nanyang Public School by an imperial edict of the Guangxu Emperor, it was one of China's leading universities. After th ...
in 1965, and his PhD from
Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
in 1968. His PhD thesis supervisor was
David K. Cheng. Kong did his postdoctoral research at Syracuse University as well from 1968 to 1969. From 1969 to 1971, he was the Vinton Hayes Postdoctoral Fellow of Engineering.
Kong then moved to
MIT
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the mo ...
, where he remained for the rest of his academic career, as
assistant professor
Assistant Professor is an academic rank just below the rank of an associate professor used in universities or colleges, mainly in the United States and Canada.
Overview
This position is generally taken after earning a doctoral degree and general ...
from 1969 to 1973,
associate professor
Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''.
Overview
In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a ...
from 1973 to 1980, and promoted to full
professor
Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...
in 1980. From 1977 until his death in 2008, Kong served as a
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
high-level consultant to the undersecretary-general, as well as an interregional advisor on
remote sensing
Remote sensing is the acquisition of information about an object or phenomenon without making physical contact with the object, in contrast to in situ or on-site observation. The term is applied especially to acquiring information about Earth ...
technology for the United Nations Department of Technical Cooperation for Development. At MIT, Kong supervised about 50 PhD theses and 90 Master theses. From 1984 to 2003, he was the
chairman
The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...
of Area IV on Energy and Electromagnetic Systems at MIT. From 1989 until 2008, Kong was director of the Center for Electromagnetic Theory and Applications in the Research Laboratory of Electronics at MIT.
Kong was the founding president of
The Electromagnetics Academy from 1989 to 2008. He also founded the Academy's
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
branch at
Zhejiang University
Zhejiang University, abbreviated as ZJU or Zheda and formerly romanized as Chekiang University, is a national public research university based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. It is a member of the prestigious C9 League and is selected into the na ...
in
Hangzhou
Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, whi ...
, known as ''The Electromagnetics Academy at Zhejiang University,'' serving as its
dean
Dean may refer to:
People
* Dean (given name)
* Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin
* Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk
* Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean
Titles
* ...
from 2003 to 2008.
Kong was also the founding chair of the Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium (PIERS), from 1989 to 2008. From 1987 to 2008, he was the
editor-in-chief
An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies.
The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...
of the ''
Journal of Electromagnetic Waves and Applications
The ''Journal of Electromagnetic Waves and Applications'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Taylor & Francis in 18 issues per year. It covers electromagnetic wave theory and its applications, including but not limited to wave prop ...
''. He was the founding chief editor for ''
Progress in Electromagnetics Research
''Progress in Electromagnetics Research'' is a peer-reviewed open access scientific journal covering all aspects of electromagnetic theory and applications. It was established in 1989 as ''Electromagnetic Waves''. The editors-in-chief are Weng Cho ...
'' (PIER) series (1989–2008), chief editor for ''Progress In Electromagnetics Research (PIER) Letters, B, M, C'' in 2008, and chief editor for ''PIERS Online'' from 2005 to 2008.
Honors and awards
Kong was rewarded with many honors and awards during his life, including:
* Fellow, The Electromagnetics Academy
*
Fellow
A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context.
In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements.
Within the context of higher education ...
,
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a 501(c)(3) professional association for electronic engineering and electrical engineering (and associated disciplines) with its corporate office in New York City and its operation ...
* Fellow,
Optical Society of America
Optica (formerly known as The Optical Society (OSA) and before that as the Optical Society of America) is a professional society of individuals and companies with an interest in optics and photonics. It publishes journals and organizes conference ...
* Distinguished Achievement Award, from the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society, 2000
*
IEEE Electromagnetics Award
The IEEE Electromagnetics Award was established by the IEEE Board of Directors in 1996. This award is presented for outstanding contributions to electromagnetics theory, application or education.
It may be presented to an individual only.
Rec ...
, 2004
*
Honorary doctorate
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...
from
Paris X University Nanterre
Paris Nanterre University (French: ''Université Paris Nanterre''), formerly Paris-X and commonly referred to as Nanterre, is a public research university based in Nanterre, Paris, France. It is one of the most prestigious French universities, ma ...
, 2006
Books
* ''Electromagnetic Wave Theory'', J. A. Kong, EMW Publishing, 1016 pg, 2008 (Previous editions by Wiley-Interscience: 1975, 1986 and 1990 and EMW Publishing: 1998, 2000 and 2005)
* ''Maxwell Equations'', J. A. Kong, EMW Publishing, 398 pg, 2002
* ''Theory of Microwave Remote Sensing'', L. Tsang, J. A. Kong and R.T. Shin, Wiley-Interscience, 613 pages, 1985
* ''Scattering of Electromagnetic Waves: Theories and Applications'', L. Tsang, J. A. Kong and K. H. Ding, Wiley-Interscience, 426 pg, 2000
* ''Scattering of Electromagnetic Waves: Numerical Simulations'', L. Tsang, J. A. Kong, K. H. Ding and C. Ao, Wiley-Interscience, 705 pg, 2001
* ''Scattering of Electromagnetic Waves: Advanced Topics'', L. Tsang and J. A. Kong, Wiley-Interscience, 413 pg, 2001
* ''Applied Electromagnetism'', L.C. Shen and J. A. Kong, PWS, 1987
* ''Electromagnetic Waves'', David H. Staelin, Ann W. Morgenthaler and Jin Au Kong, 1993
References
External links
Jin Au Kong's homepage at MIT*
ttp://www.ieee.org/portal/pages/about/awards/bios/2004electromagnetics.html Jin Au Kong at IEEE
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kong, Jin Au
1942 births
2008 deaths
Fellow Members of the IEEE
Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty
Academic staff of Zhejiang University
Fellows of Optica (society)
Scientists from Nanjing
Chinese electrical engineers
Electrical engineering academics
National Chiao Tung University alumni
National Taiwan University alumni
Syracuse University alumni
Chinese non-fiction writers
Chinese expatriates in the United States
Microwave engineers
20th-century non-fiction writers