National Chiao-Tung University Names NYU-Poly’s Spencer Szu-Pin Kuo a Distinguished Alumnus
Brooklyn, New York – Spencer Szu-pin Kuo, a professor of electrical engineering at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly) and noted researcher in microwave plasma interactions, has been named a distinguished alumnus of National Chiao-Tung University, Taiwan, R.O.C. Kuo received both his bachelor of science degree and a master’s in electrical engineering from the school. He has been a member of the NYU-Poly faculty since 1981.
He has conducted research in ionospheric and magnetospheric plasma physics, plasma sources, plasma aerodynamic effects on shock waves, and plasmas for industrial and medical applications. He created the first Plasma Photonic Crystal, which traps a wave as well as downshifts the wave frequency. His research has enhanced the efficiency of generating ELF (extremely low frequency)/VLF (very low frequency) waves, used for underwater communication and exploring the magnetosphere. He patented a plasma torch module, installed in a wind tunnel to study shock waves in supersonic aircraft. The experiment showed that onboard-generated plasma can eliminate the shock waves in front of the aircraft – potentially solving the problems of sonic booms and severe wave drag in supersonic flight. Adding microwave, this torch module has been applied to the scramjet engine to improve combustion and to decontaminate biological warfare agents. He also invented an air plasma jet for medical applications, including wound-bleeding control and dental treatment.
Kuo is a fellow of the IEEE. He has been the lead researcher for more than 30 research projects awarded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Office of Naval Research. Eleven students have received doctorates under his supervision. He has published 192 journal papers and authored 86 proceedings issued articles, and he holds five U.S. patents, three R.O.C. (Taiwan) patents, and one China patent. He was an associate editor of Radio Science from 1993 to 1996. He received an outstanding research award from the scientific research society Sigma Xi in 1990 and was a recipient of the 1997 Tamkang Chair from Tamkang University, R.O.C. The Chinese Institute of Engineers (CIE-USA) named him a 2005 Asian-American Engineer of the year.
National Chiao-Tung University was founded in the suburbs of Shanghai in 1896, sixteen years before the birth of the Republic of China. It is a research and teaching institute for engineering, sciences, and management and is one of the most prestigious engineering schools in the world.
The Polytechnic Institute of New York University (formerly the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute and the Polytechnic University, now widely known as NYU-Poly) is an affiliated institute of New York University, soon to be its School of Engineering. NYU-Poly, founded in 1854, is the nation’s second-oldest private engineering school. It is presently a comprehensive school of education and research in engineering and applied sciences, rooted in a 159-year tradition of invention, innovation and entrepreneurship. It remains on the cutting edge of technology, innovatively extending the benefits of science, engineering, management and liberal studies to critical real-world opportunities and challenges, especially those linked to urban systems, health and wellness, and the global information economy. In addition to its programs on the main campus in New York City at MetroTech Center in downtown Brooklyn, it offers programs around the globe remotely through NYUe-Poly. NYU-Poly is closely connected to engineering in NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai and to the NYU Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP) also at MetroTech, while operating two incubators in downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn. For more information, visit engineering.nyu.edu.
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