Prof. Johnny Chan selected as 2024 CSU ATS Outstanding Alum

We are delighted to announce that Prof. Johnny Chung Leung Chan has been selected to receive the Outstanding Alum award this year. Prof. Chan received his Ph.D. from the department in 1982, studying with Prof. William Gray. His dissertation was entitled “The Physical Processes Responsible for Tropical Cyclone Motion.” Subsequent to leaving CSU, he served in various prestigious governmental and academic roles, including Scientific Officer in the Royal Observatory of Hong Kong (1986-1989), Associate Professor and Professor in the Dept. of Physics and Materials Science at the City University of Hong Kong (1992-2000), Chair Professor of Applied Physics/Atmospheric Science at the City University of Hong Kong (2000-2021), Associate Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the City University of Hong Kong (2000-2007), Founding Dean of the School of Energy and Environment at City University of Hong Kong (2009-2015), and Fellow of the Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (2022-present). Currently, he is serving as Science Director of the Asia-Pacific Typhoon Collaborative Research Center. Prof. Chan has supported, advised, and mentored numerous undergraduate and graduate students in these roles. 

Throughout his career, Prof. Chan has conducted breakthrough research on tropical cyclones (TCs). He contributed the first papers to identify the role of the beta effect on the steering of TCs (Chan and Gray 1982; Chan and Williams 1987), was the first to identify the relationship between TC activity in the western North Pacific and ENSO (Chan 1985), and then extended these linkages to the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, leading to the first-ever real-time seasonal forecasting of TC activity in the western North Pacific (Chan et al. 1998; 2001). He has played leadership roles in studies of the relationship between climate change and TC activity. His stature in TC research led to him being asked to prepare a review on the physics of TC motion (Chan 2005), to serve as chair of the Tropical Cyclone Panel of the Tropical Meteorology Research Programme of the WMO, and as co-chair of the 6th International Workshop on Typhoons. Prof. Chan’s prestigious leadership positions and awards also attest to his stature in the field. He served as President of the Atmospheric Science Section of the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (2016-2018), and was awarded Distinguished Meteorologist by the Hong Kong Observatory (2003). Prof. Chan was named Fellow of the American Meteorological Society in 2011, and Honorary Member of the Asia-Oceania Geosciences Society in 2024. Professor Emeritus Richard Johnson nominated him for the ATS Outstanding Alum award.

Congratulations to Prof. Chan on this richly deserved recognition!  

Note from Chan:

I would like to thank the Department of Atmospheric Science for selecting me to receive this prestigious award. There are many people to whom I would also like to express my gratitude. The first and foremost is my Ph.D. supervisor, Professor William Gray who brought me to CSU in 1978. His advice was not limited to my research but in almost all walks of life, and not only during the four-and-a-half years when I was at CSU, but throughout my academic career until his passing in 2016. His passion in research constantly challenged me to explore new frontiers to push the boundaries of our knowledge in tropical cyclones. His support and care for his students was a model that we should all follow. This award, therefore, is in some way, an honor to Bill who had taught me so much. Without his mentorship, I probably would not have reached my current academic achievements.

Second, I would like to thank all the professors who had taught me during my Ph.D. study at CSU, in particular Professors Wayne Schubert, William Cotton and Richard Johnson. Their courses were always challenging and inspiring, and our in-class and out-of-class discussions have substantially enhanced my understanding of the underlying concepts in the various topics.

My appreciation also goes to my classmates at CSU. They provided support during times of frustration and we had lots of fun, and beer, together to vent our pressure in our research. Their organization of meetings to discuss the contents of seminal papers helped me increase my knowledge about the atmosphere.

My four-and-a-half years at CSU shaped my future career, and I want to thank everyone who has taught me or interacted with me in one way or another during this period. My sincere and heartfelt thanks to all of you who have made this award a reality.