Professor Emeritus Robert Chang Passes Away

Robert Chang, professor emeritus of materials science and engineering, who was honored for his contributions to plasma science and technology, diamond research, high-temperature superconductivity, carbon nanotubes, and perovskite solar cells, passed away at age 83 on June 21. He will be remembered for both his scientific innovation and commitment to educating the next generation of engineers. 

Following 15 years on the technical staff at AT&T Bell Labs, Chang arrived at Northwestern University in 1986 as a professor of materials science and engineering and of electrical engineering and computer science. He transitioned to professor emeritus status in 2021, and worked with Professor Matthew Grayson in 2023 to develop novel superlattice materials with far-reaching technological implications including in flat-panel displays.

In 1970, Chang earned his PhD in plasma physics from Princeton University and served as a postdoctoral researcher at Princeton in 1971. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1965.

Chang’s research interests included photonic crystals, amorphous semiconducting oxide films, solar cell design and fabrication, and nanostructured materials. A coauthor of more than 500 academic papers, Chang’s work was cited more than 36,000 times.

“Bob Chang was a visionary scientist whose work shaped multiple fields within materials science, from plasma physics to nanotechnology,” Northwestern Engineering Dean Christopher Schuh said. “He exemplified the McCormick spirit of excellence in both research and teaching, and his legacy will continue to inspire generations of engineers.”

Chang served as director of the Northwestern University Materials Research Center (MRC) and the National Center for Learning and Teaching in Nanoscale Science and Technology. He also served as the president of the Materials Research Society (1989), and as a general secretary and president of the International Union of Materials Research Societies (IUMRS). He led the Materials Research Institute at Northwestern University, and was a member of advisory boards of the National Institute for Materials Science and of the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials.

“Bob Chang fundamentally shaped my career and the careers of countless other faculty members and junior researchers,” said Mark Hersam, Walter P. Murphy Professor and Chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the McCormick School of Engineering. “From my earliest days as an assistant professor, he took me under his wing and mentored me all the way to the directorship of the MRC, which he had previously led for over a decade.  His legacy is everywhere within the MRC and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, across the Northwestern University campus, and throughout the materials field worldwide.”

In addition to his research, Chang contributed to and created several innovative educational programs, including ones that particularly targeted K-12 STEM education. 

Those education initiatives included launching the first National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experience for Teachers Program in 1993, as well as the Materials World Modules program for middle and high school students around the country. In 2005, Chang was honored by the NSF as the Director's Distinguished Teaching Scholar for achieving groundbreaking results in research, strong teaching and mentoring skills, and major educational contributions.

Chang felt it was especially important to initiate K-12 outreach and to impact the paths of his students.

“Guiding students to chart a course for their lives is what I’ll remember most,” Chang said in 2021.

Services are pending.