Joseph A. Kunc

Professor Emeritus of Astronautics, Aerospace Engineering, Physics and Astronomy

Email: kunc@usc.edu

Research Interests: Atomic and molecular interactions, transport of particles and radiation in non-equilibrium gases and plasmas, molecular dynamics, classical and statistical thermodynamics.

Professional Activities


Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS).

Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).

Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Government State & Federal Advisory Group of California Space Grant Consortium (2009-14).

Organizing Committee of the SPIE Conference "Tribute to Emil Wolf; Engineering Legacy of Physical Optics", San Diego (2003).

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Panel (2003-04).

Reviewer of the Collaboration in Basic Science and Engineering Program of the National Research Council (2001-02).

Advisor to the Board of Regents of the Ohio State University System (1997).

Chairman of the Thermophysics Publications Committee of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (1995-96,1996-97, elected).

Thermophysics Committee of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (1994-97).

International Advisory Board of the RGD Symposia (1994-2004, elected).

Visiting Scholar, Atomic and Plasma Radiation Division, National Bureau of Standards, Washington D.C. (1978-79).

Research Associate, California Institute of Technology (1982-84).

Visiting Scholar, Department of High-Temperature Plasma, National Institute for Nuclear Studies, Warsaw, Poland (1991).

Visiting Scholar, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge (1991-92).

Committee on Liquid Phase Kinetics of the National Research Council (1985-86).

Reviewer/adjudicator for: Applied Physics Letters, Chemical Physics, IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, Journal of Applied Physics, Journal of Chemical Physics, Journal of Physics, Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer, Journal of Thermophysics and Heat Transfer, Physica, Physical Review, Physics of Fluids, Physics of Plasmas, Planetary and Space Science, Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing.

Service to the University


President of Faculty of the Viterbi School of Engineering (1994-95,1995-96,1999-00,2000-01,2013-14, elected).

Chair of the Committee for Revision of Bylaws of the Engineering Faculty Council (2013-14, elected).

Academic Senate (1992-93,1994-95,1995-96,1999-00,2000-01,2012-13,2013-14, elected).

Director of the PhD Program in the Astronautical Engineering Department (2006-2016).

Director of the USC Space Engineering Research Center (2006-10, 2010-14).

Appointments, Promotions and Tenure Committee of the School of Engineering (1992-94,2005-07,2007-09,2010-12, 2014-2016, 2017-18, elected).

Viterbi Panel at the USC Trustees Conference (2009).

Benefits Committee of the Engineering Faculty Council (2007-08, elected).

University Committee on Classified Research (2007-08).

Engineering Faculty Council (2007-08, 2008-09, 2016-2017, elected).

Adjunct Faculty Appointment Committee (2007-2015).

Merit Review Committee of the Viterbi School of Engineering (2006-07, elected).

Faculty Advisor to Undergraduate Space Technology Programs (2006-14).

Designated Campus Director of California Space Grant Consortium (2006-2014).

Provost Search Committee for Dean of Viterbi School of Engineering (2005-06).

Engineering Faculty Council Committee for Dean Evaluation (2004-05, elected).

Provost's Committee of Faculty Search Liaisons (2004-06).

Provost's Task Force on Science and Engineering Libraries (2003-04).

Elected to Faculty Council of the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences (2002).

School of Engineering Search Committee for Chair of the AME Department (2002-03).

School of Engineering Advisory Committee for System Architecture Program (2002-04).

Ambassador of the University of Southern California (2002-2016).

Transition Team for New Administration of the School of Engineering (2001).

Reviewer of the USC Distance Education Network (2001).

Selection Committee for Director of Distance Education Network (2001).

Provost Search Committee for Director of Science Libraries (2000-01).

Provost Search Committee for Dean of School of Engineering (2000-01).

Provost's Distinguished Visitor Selection Committee (1999-2000).

Provost/Senate Task Force on Sabbatical Policy (1999-2000, elected).

Mentor to Presidential Merit and Honors students (1998-2016).

President's Staff Achievement Award Panel (1997-98).

Provost/Academic Senate Committee on Promotion and Tenure Policy (1997-98, 1998-99).

Provost/Academic Senate Panel on Relations of Faculty Councils with Deans (1995-96, elected).

Nominating Committee of the Executive Board of the Academic Senate (1995-96, 2000-01, elected).

Executive Committee of the Appointments, Promotions and Tenure Committee of the School of Engineering (1993-94, elected).

Engineering Junior and Senior Faculty Research Awards Committee (1993-94).

Vice-President of Faculty of the School of Engineering (1993-94, elected).

Committee for Amendment of the Bylaws of the Engineering Faculty Council (1992-93, 2013-14, elected).

Dean Search Committee for Chair of AME Department (1991-92, elected).

USC President's Commission on Undergraduate Education (1990-92).

Graduate School Student Affairs Committee (1988-90).

USC/NASA Research Coordination Committee (1988-90).

Powell Foundation Fellowship Committee (1988).

Chair/Member of numerous Ph.D. Dissertation Committees in USC Astronautical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, Physics and Astronomy Departments, and in Claremont College.

Research support: Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), Army Research Office (ARO), Boeing Corporation, California Space Grant Consortium, Department of Energy, Information Sciences Institute (ISI), International Foundation of Telemetry, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Microcosm Corporation, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Science Foundation (NSF), National Space Grant, Northrop-Grumman Corporation, USC Provost Innovative Research Fund.

Published on April 10th, 2017Last updated on September 19th, 2024