Academic Staff

Derek Or has a good mix of academic & industrial experience. Having received his BSc, MPhil (Teaching Company Scheme) & PhD (part-time mode) education at PolyU from 1992 to 2001, Derek acquired industrial experience in the R&D Department of ASM Pacific Technology Ltd. in both HK & Singapore from 1995 to 2001 & performed his postdoctoral research in the MAE Department at UCLA from 2001 to 2002. He started his academic career as Lecturer in the AP Department at PolyU in 2002, became Assistant professor in AP in 2005, advanced to Associate Professor in the EE Department in 2008 & achieved the rank of Professor in EE in 2012.

Derek established the Smart Materials & Systems Laboratory in 2008, took over the High Voltage Engineering Laboratory in 2009, & has directed them to become strategic technology resources of both EE & PolyU. His group has the primary research focus on developing multifunctional smart materials with interestingly high magneto-/electro-/thermo-/mechano-/optical responses in the bulk, micro- & nano-scale as well as investigating the fundamentals of sensing, actuation & transduction mechanisms, energy generation & conversion processes, structural integrity, environmental sustainability, etc. for multidisciplinary applications. Moreover, the development of smart devices, including self-sustainable/energy-harvesting wireless sensors, coil-free self-isolated circuit protection & control devices, electromagnetic wave nano-absorbers/-shields, waste energy harvesters & converters, green batteries & energy cells, sensori-actuators/-transducers, ultrasonic tools, self-sensing vibration absorbers/isolators/dampers, etc., forms the application focus. In addition, condition & health monitoring; signal analysis, processing & transmission; drives, control & automation; energy harvesting, conversion, storage & management; prognosis & diagnosis; nondestructive evaluation; etc. are the synergic technologies for integrated systems.

Derek has an outstanding record of research performance & an excellent reputation for professional services, both locally & internationally. He has secured HK$55M+ research grants for 65+ projects & HK$12M+ laboratory & equipment grants from government bodies, industries & PolyU since 2002. He has produced 300+ research publications since 1996, including 2 professional book chapters, 43 patents for 16 inventions, 200+ SCI journal papers (>70% in Q1 journals, h-index: 30+, citations: 3500+) & 60+ international conference papers. He is recipient of 20+ international, national & local research/invention awards/medals. Most of them have been commercialized/deployed in various industrial sectors worldwide, including power distribution systems, circuit protection & control apparatuses, railway electrification systems, cable-suspension bridges, semiconductor packaging equipment, high-power ultrasonic assembly equipment, etc.

Derek has/had held various prestigious positions in government, academic & professional bodies, including Jury Committee Member of APEC Energy Smart Communities Initiative Best Practices Awards Program (2017), Visiting Professor of Stanford University (2015) & UCLA (2014), International Collaborator of NSF Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Translational Applications of Nanoscale Multiferroic Systems (since 2013), Assessor of Chang Jiang Scholars Program (since 2013), Assessor of Academic Staff Promotion in Huazhong University of Science & Technology (since 2013), Chief Science & Technology Advisor of Hangzhou Qianjiang Economic Development Area (since 2014) & Zhucheng Municipal People’s Government (since 2012), Adjunct Professor of Zhejiang University (2010–2016) & Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (2004–2010), etc. He has also served as Associate Editor of 3 SCI journals, Reviewer for 2 research funding schemes in France & China, Chair/Member of various professional bodies, examination boards & international conferences, etc.

• Higher Diploma in Marine Communication and Electronic Technology, Hong Kong Polytechnic
• Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• Master of Philosophy, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• Doctor of Philosophy, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

• Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers