John Chen

John C. Chen
John C. Chen, 79, of Bethlehem, PA passed away on December 30, 2013 after a short illness. He was the son of the late Liang Fu and Rena Chen. John was born in China and came with his family to America at the end of World War II. He received his BS from The Cooper Union, MS from Carnegie Institute of Technology and PhD in Chemical Engineering from the Univ. of Michigan. He worked in diverse positions in industry, national laboratories, and academia. His research involved applications to chemical processes, nuclear reactor safety, environmental technologies, and energy systems. He taught at Lehigh University for 34 years and supervised over 50 masters and 35 PhD candidates. John held positions as Carl R. Anderson Endowed Professor, Chairman of Chemical Engineering Dept., Director of Institute of Thermal-Fluids Engineering and Science, and Dean of the College of Engineering. John published over 200 journal articles and received numerous awards including the distinguished Max Planck Research Prize from Germany and the Max Jakob Award in Thermal Science from the United States. John was elected the 2005 President of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. He enjoyed skiing, tennis, biking, and photography. Survivors: John is survived by his wife of 53 years, Katherine; three children, Christopher, Lisa, and Peter; five granddaughters; and three grandsons. Services: Memorial service will be held on February 8, 2014, at 10 a.m., at the First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem, 2344 Center Street, Bethlehem, PA. Contributions: In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the John C. Chen Chemical Engineering Prize Fund. Contact Tracey Lopez at 610-758-4371.