have loved to be a student forever, and I think being a professor is the closest I can get to be a student forever.” Interested in chemistry and mathematics in secondary school, Sally’s search for a university program combining these two subjects led her to SENG, which provides the only chemical engineering department at a Hong Kong university. When she received a positive response to her enquiries from then Department Head (now Professor Emeritus) YUE Po-Lock – “to my delight and surprise, Prof. Yue took the time to respond to my email and explain what chemical engineering was about” – and learned of the Chemical and Environmental Engineering bachelor’s degree, she decided to make it her major. At SENG, Sally had the opportunity to participate in undergraduate research under the supervision of Prof. CHAN Chak-Keung, learning about aerosols and air quality. She also went on a one-year exchange to the University of Minnesota in the US, where she realized the air quality in Minnesota was much better than in Hong Kong. She then decided, with the encouragement and guidance of Prof. Chan, to apply for graduate programs in the US to learn more. “The opportunity to participate in undergraduate research and the exchange program truly shaped my career path,” she said. 27 IN FOCUS Sally graduated from HKUST with a BEng in Chemical and Environmental Engineering (First Class) in , moving on to a MS and PhD in Chemical Engineering at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), and joining Georgia Institute of Technology in a er three and a half years at an R&D company. As an academic, she nds her life continually interesting and satisfying. “It is quite a lot of work to build a research program from scratch. But it is also very ful lling and rewarding when things come together and to see the scienti c, professional, and personal development of students over the years.” “I think being a professor is the closest I can get to be a student forever” She also recalled how on deciding that career path, she let passion for her subject guide her decision-making. “Back in those days, my decision to choose to major in chemical engineering in Hong Kong was perceived as an unconventional choice by many. But I think it’s important to choose what one loves to do. Then things will work out, one way or another.” On her latest ASCENT project, she sees an advanced, long-term atmospheric aerosol network as critical in providing the measurements needed for informing science-based decisions on climate and environmental change. “We are very excited about this opportunity to establish ASCENT and we hope to strengthen collaborations with international atmospheric observation networks, including those in Asia,” she said. Sally rst learned about aerosols during an undergraduate research project at the School of Engineering, an experience that helped shape her career choice to study air quality.
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