The Enjoyment of Teaching and Research [Pathways

Abstract

Zheyu Zhang is a Warren H. Owen–Duke Energy Assistant Professor of Engineering at Clemson University in Charleston, South Carolina. His story began in the heavily industrialized city of Loudi, in the heart of Hunan province, China, most notable for being home to a large steel plant with many subsidiaries. His father was a senior engineer at the steel plant, and his mother taught power engineering fundamentals at the plant’s electrical engineers training center. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the steel plant’s senior management decided to implement state-of-the-art technology in industry automation and adopt the most advanced steel rolling technology. In addition, world-class experts were invited to conduct seminars and short courses to train the steel plant engineers. Zhang’s father was one of the main organizers of these events and frequently talked about them, planting the seeds of becoming an electrical engineer in young Zhang.