2026 Dresselhaus Lecture

The Dresselhaus Lecture series is named in honor of Mildred "Millie" Dresselhaus, a beloved MIT professor whose research helped unlock the mysteries of carbon, the most fundamental of organic elements—earning her the nickname “queen of carbon science.” This annual event recognizes a significant figure in science and engineering from anywhere in the world whose leadership and impact echo Millie’s life, accomplishments, and values.

The 2026 Mildred S. Dresselhaus Lecture will be delivered by:

Gang Chen

Carl Richard Soderberg Professor of Power Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Gang Chen is the Carl Richard Soderberg Professor of Power Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He served as the Department Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at MIT from 2013 to 2018. He obtained his PhD degree from the Mechanical Engineering Department at UC Berkeley under the supervision of then UC Berkeley Chancellor Chang-Lin Tien. He was a faculty member at Duke University and UCLA, before joining MIT in 2001.

Chen's research spans from electrons and phonons transport in solid-state materials for thermoelectric energy conversion and microelectronic thermal management to evaporation and condensation for desalination and data center cooling. He received an NSF Young Investigator Award, an R&D 100 award, an ASME Heat Transfer Memorial Award, an ASME Frank Kreith Award in Energy, a Nukiyama Memorial Award by the Japan Heat Transfer Society, a World Technology Network Award in Energy, an Eringen medal from the Society of Engineering Science, the Capers and Marion McDonald Award for Excellences in Mentoring and Advising from MIT, a Steven Chu medal from the Asian American Academy of Science and Engineering, and an American Courage Award from Asian American Advancing Justice.