Outstanding Achievement Award Recipient
College of Science and Engineering, October 23, 2013
Sun Kwok received both a master’s degree (1972) and a Ph.D. (1974) in astronomy and physics from the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota. He is best known for his theory on the origin of planetary nebulae and the evolution of sun-like stars. He led Canada’s participation in the international submillimeter satellite mission Odin from 1994-2003 and then went on to direct the Taiwanese participation in the Submillimeter Array (SMA) on Mauna Kea, Hawaii before returning to his native land in 2006. At the invitation of the University of Hong Kong, he accepted the position of Dean of Science and Chair Professor of Physics, where he is responsible for reforming the science curriculum and expanding the faculty. Kwok is the author of the textbook Physics and Chemistry of the Interstellar Medium, which is used in many leading universities throughout the world, and the author of many articles in popular science magazines.