There’s a new big man on campus at the University of California, Merced. Meet Dr. Sung-Mo “Steve” Kang, who took his seat as chancellor this month. 

A self-proclaimed pioneer, the 61-year-old engineer has a knack for being first. A first-generation immigrant, he was the first in his family to attend college. Now, he is the first Korean chancellor of a major American university.

“San Francisco State University had a Japanese president and UC Berkeley had a chancellor from China,” Kang says. “I thought, ‘Gee, wouldn’t it be nice if a Korean American could do the same?’”

While Kang is a newcomer to the San Joaquin Valley (“Students have already told me of some good Korean restaurants,” he says assuredly), he’s a veteran to higher education. In the field of engineering, Kang has published more than 150 technical papers, holds 14 patents and co-authored eight books. Most recently, he served as the dean of the Baskin School of Engineering at UC Santa Cruz.

The importance of education was ingrained in him at a young age, Kang says. When he was a little boy in Korea, his grandfather told him that he should get a doctorate in electrical engineering and become a professor. And that’s what he did.

Kang says his goals for the new position include strengthening relations with the community, furthering plans for the medical school and attracting a diverse and talented student body. Since UC Merced is the newest UC campus, only in its second year of operation, Kang complimented the student leaders on their “pioneer spirit.” 

They’ll be embarking on this adventure together.  

“When you do anything for the first time, the expectations are high,” Kang says. “I feel a significant responsibility to be successful by the Korean American society as well as by other people. But it gives me additional motivation to do well.”

— Michelle Woo