Dr. Soon Jo Chung

Professor

Build a Statement of Purpose

Generate a tailored SOP for Dr. Soon Jo Chung. Improve your application with a focused, well-structured draft.

Biography

Professor Soon-Jo Chung is a Bren Professor in the Control and Dynamical Systems at the California Institute of Technology and a Senior Research Scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. His research focuses on distributed spacecraft systems, autonomous vehicles, aerospace robotics, and the application of control theory, estimation, and learning-based control planning. He received a B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in 1998, and both a S.M. and Sc.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2002 and 2007, respectively. Previously, he served as an Associate Professor and Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 2009 to 2016. Professor Chung has received numerous awards for his research, including the UIUC Engineering Dean's Award for Excellence in Research and was recognized with multiple teaching awards as a finalist for the List of Teachers Ranked Excellent. He acted as Senior Editor for IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters and has been involved in various editorial boards and professional organizations.

Research Interests

Experience

Senior Research Scientist

2022-01-01 — Present

Jet Propulsion Laboratory • Pasadena, CA

Conduct research and development in robotics and control systems.

Professor

2019-01-01 — Present

California Institute of Technology • Pasadena, CA

Lead research in control systems and robotics.

Associate Professor

2016-01-01 — 2018-12-31

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign • Champaign, IL

Taught courses and conducted research in aerospace engineering.

Assistant Professor

2009-01-01 — 2015-12-31

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign • Champaign, IL

Engaged in research and teaching activities.

Awards

#

UIUC Engineering Dean's Award Excellence Research

#

NSF CAREER Award

#

IEEE Robotics Automation Letters Paper Award

#

AIAA Guidance, Control Conference Paper Award

Courses

CDS 131 – Linear Systems Theory CDS 212 – Optimal Control Reinforcement Learning CDS 212 – Optimal Control Estimation CDS 245 – Data-driven Control CS/EE/ME 75 abc – Multidisciplinary Systems Engineering CDS 270 – Advanced Topics Systems Control

Requirements for California Institute of Technology

Doctorate Program
Requirements
TOEFL
Total
Required:100
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree or equivalent Strong background in mathematics and physical sciences
Application Checklist
  • Online Application
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Three Letters of Recommendation
  • Transcripts
  • Resume/CV
Specialization Notes

Most Caltech graduate programs are PhD-only. GRE General and Subject tests vary by department; many have made them optional or no longer accept them.