Chemical engineering department chair retires after decades of devotion to UA, the College, and his community

Dr. Mike Cheung

Harry Michael (Mike) Cheung, Ph.D., P.E. is the chair of UA’s Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering Department. Dr. Cheung will be retiring at the end of June after 36 years of service to The University of Akron. 

Dr. Cheung received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Case Western Reserve University. He is a well-recognized expert in surfactants, emulsions, and interfacial phenomena in general, and he has chaired and organized sessions and programs in many professional conferences and symposia.  He has received six patents and numerous publications in the area of polymerization of microemulsions and the use of dynamic light scattering to characterize those materials 

In addition to his role as department chair, Dr. Cheung has a long history of teaching undergraduate students and mentoring graduate students. He has taught such classes as Material and Energy Balances, Chemical Engineering Computations, Mass Transfer Operations, and Process Design. Dr. Cheung started teaching the concept of pinch analysis before it became a standard in the text books and he also helped develop methods for teaching Process Design to blind students.  His achievements are many and include being honored as one of nine “Ohioans of the Year” by the Cleveland Plain Dealer (2002), being named an Outstanding Honors Advisor at UA (2013), and receiving the College of Engineering Louis A. Hill, Jr. Award for exceptional dedication and service (1999). 

Over the past 36 years Dr. Cheung has served The University of Akron in many capacities including Chair of the Faculty Senate, Chief Negotiator for the Akron chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), and Chairs’ representative to University Council Budget and Finance Committee. He was responsible for negotiating the first three collective bargaining agreements between Akron AAUP and UA.  Dr. Cheung is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, American Chemical Society, Order of the Engineer, Tau Beta Pi, and American Association of University Professors, Akron Chapter.   

Dr. Cheung has also given his time to the community in several roles including as a council member for the Village of Boston Heights, a member of the ski patrol at Boston Mills/Brandywine ski resort, and a pilot for Angel Flight. 

“I used to be able to fly at least one mission a month,” says Dr. Cheung. “Angel Flight’s patient missions were suspended because of COVID-19 but they are now resuming, so hopefully I can put some flight time to good use and get back to flying missions regularly again.”

Dr. Cheung is also looking forward to spending more time with his children and grandchildren, tending to his vegetable and hops garden, sailing, and learning a new language.

Read the notes of congratulations from Dr. Cheung’s students and colleagues.