From Star Wars to research, Herff Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Chair Dr. Sungyong Jung continues to seek inspiration to support students and benefit society
August 27, 2026
With the start of a new academic year comes a new chair for the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Herff College of Engineering.
Dr. Sungyong Jung began his appointment as department chair on August 3. Jung left South Dakota State University to join the University of Memphis, a decision he said the University of Memphis’ national reputation made easy.
“Some of my colleagues that I have worked with and are now in other departments and are now department chairs at other colleges and other schools, they highly value the University of Memphis,” Jung said. “The University of Memphis has great potential to be better, and also the reputation of the University of Memphis is increasing more and more. So, I believe I have a good opportunity to contribute to shaping the future of the department.”
Jung brings more than two decades of experience to the Herff College of Engineering. He joined the University of Texas at Arlington as an assistant professor of electrical engineering in 2002 and spent 20 years there before moving to South Dakota State in 2024.
Learn more about Dr. Jung's background
Motivating every day of that career, Jung said, is a desire to improve human life, something he does by seeking inspiration through his students, staff and fellow faculty.
“I always think about what I can contribute to society, not only the research for money but the projects,” Jung said. “If I were to construct a project, I’d ask myself how it would impact human life. What are the practical things that people can utilize? I try to get some ideas in the biomedical areas or through environmental sensing, something related to human health and human benefits.
“The motivation for the administration is that if the leader can provide a good vision and set the goal to achieve the vision and drive the department, drive the people and support the faculty and support the students and staff, there is always a big change and we can see how we can make it better and better.”
When he’s not seeking inspiration through those around him, Jung may turn to movies and literature. Years ago, the Star Wars series contributed greatly to his curiosity about electrical and computer engineering.
“Those kinds of sci-fi movies are my favorite, because I can see how people can imagine future technology,” Jung said. “Think about it. About 20 years ago, the movie showed something, and now it has been realized. By watching those movies, I can get some ideas about the research as well.”
Away from the screen, Jung enlightens himself with the works of Nobel Prize-winning author Han Kang, who wrote The Vegetarian (채식주의자) and Human Acts (소년이 온다).
More than a quarter century into his career, Jung continues to seek that inspiration so that he can pass it along to his students.
“The University of Memphis is already an R1 University, so just imagine what we can accomplish,” Jung said. “I would like to build a department which can be nationally recognized as student-centered, a research-active and industry-connected department.”
From his first day on campus, Jung already embodies the University of Memphis’ philosophy of finding a successful outcome for every student.
“If students need any kind of mentoring, if they have any difficulty, I hope they feel free or they feel comfortable to come and talk to me so that I can try to help that student succeed,” Jung said. “If they have any kind of class problem and cannot do well, they should come, and then I will find a solution for them. I will talk with them. If they have any trouble understanding something, I will try to explain it myself or find a tutor to help those kinds of students succeed. If they are looking for a research opportunity, or if they don’t know where to go or what to do, they should come and talk to me. Then I will help them find a solution. And if they are interested in my research, I will definitely provide supervision and let them have some experience.”