Shung becomes the new chair for the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Photo credit/Michelle Henry
Professsor K. Kirk Shung has assumed the role of Dwight C. and Hildegarde E. Baum Chair in Biomedical Engineering as of July 1.Â
Joining USC Viterbi’s Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) in 2002, Shung conducts research primarily in the area of high frequency ultrasonic imaging and transducer development. His research has been supported by an NIH National Resource grant on transducer technology. The goal: to develop high frequency ultrasonic transducers and arrays with improved spatial resolution that can be used for dermatological, ophthalmological and intravascular imaging as well as small animal imaging.
In 1993, Shung became a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). In addition, he is a fellow of American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine and a founding fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE).
Shung, also a Dean’s Professor of Biomedical Engineering, obtained his bachelor’s in electrical engineering from Cheng Kung University in Tainan, Taiwan. He earned his PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Washington, Seattle. Since 1997, he has served as director of the NIH Resource Center on Medical Ultrasonic Transducer Technology.
Some highlights from Shung’s distinguished career include the Holmes Pioneer Award in Basic Science from the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (2010), an Academic Career Achievement Award from the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (2011),and an IEEE Biomedical Engineering Award (2016). He was also elected an outstanding alumnus of his alma mater, Cheng-Kung University (2001).
Shung has published more than 500 papers and book chapters and authored two textbooks. He is an associate editor of IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroeelctrics and Frequency Control and IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering and Medical Physics.
In his new role in BME, Shung succeeds Professor Ellis Meng who served as chair since July 1, 2015. The department thanks Meng, a Gabilan Distinguished Professor and faculty member of the Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, for her tenure as department chair.Â
With a leadership that acknowledges and rewards young innovation as well as rich experience, BME hopes to achieve even greater heights and add feathers to its well-decorated hat.
Published on July 11th, 2018
Last updated on July 11th, 2018
