Yip-Wah Chung (born 1950[1]) is a materials scientist at Northwestern University. He is a professor of materials science & engineering, and, by courtesy, of mechanical engineering within the McCormick School of Engineering,[2] and serves as co-director of the mechanical engineering–materials science & engineering Master of Science program.[3]
Chung was raised in Hong Kong,[4] and holds a B.S. and an M.S. in physics from the University of Hong Kong, as well as a Ph.D. in physics from the University of California, Berkeley.[2] He joined Northwestern, after obtaining his doctorate; at Northwestern, he previously served as department chair of materials science & engineering (1992–1998).[5]
His research includes work on energy efficiency, surface engineering, and tribology. In 2016, Chung, Jiaxing Huang, and other co-authors published an article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences describing how a lubricant containing crumpled graphene could provide higher lubrication performance than other lubricant oils.[6] In 2017, Chung was featured in the Northwestern Engineering magazine for his research on improving energy efficiency. The article describes a development by Chung and others on reducing friction within automobiles. Their development, a lubricant additive, "can reduce friction by up to 70 percent and wear by up to 90 percent compared to conventional lubricant counterparts."[7] In 2019, Chung was interviewed by Tribology & Lubrication Technology. In his interview, he expressed sentiment that communication skills are a vital part of career tribology, and are not emphasized enough in education.[5]
In 2002, Chung, Leon M. Keer, and Kornel Ehmann won the Innovative Research Award, conferred by the tribology division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.[8] For his contributions to surface engineering and coatings, Chung received the 2024 R.F. Bunshah Award from the Advanced Surface Engineering Division, American Vacuum Society.[9][10] As of 2024, he is a fellow of ASM International, American Vacuum Society, and the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers.[2]