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.
Announcing the 2026 Mildred S. Dresselhaus Lecturer!
Gang Chen
Carl Richard Soderberg Professor of Power Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Date to be announced; check back here to register!
ABOUT GANG CHEN
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.
Chen serves on the board of the Asian American Scholar Forum (aasforum.org). He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Physical Society, The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the Guggenheim Foundation. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, an academician of the Academia Sinica, a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a member of the US National Academy of Engineering and a member of the US National Academy of Science.
About Mildred S. Dresselhaus
Mildred "Millie" Dresselhaus was 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.” She is well-known for her work with graphene, fullerenes (also known as "buckyballs"), bismuth nanowires, and low dimensional thermoelectricity. She developed the concept of the "nanotube," a single-layer sheet of carbon atoms that is incredibly thin and yet incredibly strong.
With appointments in the Departments of Electrical Engineering and Physics, Dresselhaus was a member of the MIT faculty for 50 years. In 1985 she was honored with the title of Institute Professor, an esteemed position held by no more than 12 MIT professors at one time. A winner of numerous awards, Dresselhaus was a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal of Science, and the Kavli Prize in Nanoscience. She was inducted into the U.S. National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014.
Dresselhaus led MIT and her field not only through her research and teaching, but with her longstanding commitment to promoting gender equity in science and engineering and a dedication to mentorship and teaching. She received a Carnegie Foundation grant in 1973 to support her efforts to encourage women to enter traditionally male dominated fields of science and engineering.
In honor of Millie, MIT.nano hosts the Mildred S. Dresselhaus Lecture annually in November, the month of Millie's birthday. The 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.
Read more about the previous Dresselhaus lecturers and watch their talk videos.