Biography

Derek Cheung received his BSEE degree with the Highest Distinction from Purdue University in 1969, followed by MSEE and PhD EE degrees from Stanford University in 1972 and 197,5 respectively. From 1969 through 1972 he was a Fairchild Fellow, working at Fairchild Semiconductor's Research Lab in Palo Alto on projects such MOS memory, high voltage power transistors, and GaAsP LEDs.

From 1975 through 2006, he worked at Rockwell International Science Center. He made major technical contributions in developing high performance infrared focal plane arrays for space applications. He was promoted to Vice President of Research for Rockwell International Corporation, and Director of Rockwell Science Center in 1996. The Center was transformed to an independent, for-profit technology company, Rockwell Scientific Company (RSC), in 1998, where he remained as President and CEO. RSC was highly successful as a technology developer and an effective technology transition organization, while maintaining a healthy growth in both revenue and profit. RSC was acquired by Teledyne Technology Inc. in 2006.

Dr. Cheung retired from Teledyne in 2007 and joined UCLA HSSEAS to set up the Institute for Technology Advancement (ITA) to apply his experience and knowledge in accelerating the successful transition of research work from UCLA to make more societal impact.

Research Interests
Professor Cheung has two broad areas of research: one is the technology transition process and the other is the history of the advancement of electrical and electronic sciences and applications.

Awards and Recognitions

• 1998-2007 President and CEO, Rockwell Scientific Company