Chan-Jin Chung (; born January 4, 1959), also known as CJ Chung, is a professor of computer science at Lawrence Technological University (LTU) in Michigan, USA. He is the founder of Robofest, an international autonomous robotics competition established during the 1999–2000 academic year Bill King (Feb 16, 2000). Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan backs Lawrence Tech Robofest; University trains teachers in robots LTU Tech News, page 1 and 8 He has contributed to educational programs that integrate science, technology, engineering, mathematics (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), arts, robotics, and computer science.
Chung served as the founding USA National Organizer of the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) in 2014Lawrence, Eric D. (Sep 27, 2014). Students hope to represent U.S. in Robot Olympiad USA Today and 2015. He also initiated the WISER (World conference on Integrated STEaM Education through Robotics) conference in 2014. His work includes the development of undergraduate curricula for connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV) supported by the National Science Foundation . His research areas include evolutionary computation, cultural algorithms, intelligent systems & autonomous mobile robotics,
self-driving Cloud laboratory, software engineering, machine learning & deep learning,
evolutionary deep learning (hyper-parameter optimization),
modelling medical systems (Cardiopulmonary bypass machines),
computer science education, and educational robotics.
Biography Chung was born in Seoul, South Korea and earned a B.S. Computer Science degree from Hongik University in 1981. He began his career as a part-time mathematics instructor at the YMCA Academy in Seoul in 1979. From 1981 to 1982, he worked for Korea Electric Power Corporation, developing an online customer information system using COBOL and IMS Databases on an IBM 3031 mainframe.
From 1982 to 1992, Chung was a research scientist at the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), where he contributed to the development of TDX switching systems,(2016). ETRI 40th Anniversary - TDX History (in Korean) which later formed the foundation for the first commercialized CDMA system in the world. During this period, he was a visiting researcher at L.M. Ericsson in Stockholm, Sweden, developing telecommunication software modules for the AXE-10 system (1983–1984).
Chung received his Ph.D. in computer science from Wayne State University in 1997. His doctoral research focused on developing a self-adaptive artificial intelligence system inspired by cultural evolution, which was applied to nonlinear function optimization and the training of artificial neural networks.
In 2002, he and his master’s student Wei-Wen Chang won first place in a 3D design optimization competition sponsored by Honda R&D Europe GmbH as part of the IEEE World Congress on Computational Intelligence.
In 2022, he was awarded a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) grant by the National Science Foundation.
Achievements in STEaM, Robotics, and Computer Science Education Chung is the founder of Robofest
JC Reindl (May 13, 2017). Robofest at Lawrence Tech draws school-age engineers and their self-driving machines, Detroit Free Press, Retrieved on July 26, 2020WUCF PBS TV (2015). SCITECH NOW Robofest in Tampa, Florida, Retrieved on July 25, 2020 , an international autonomous robotics competition established in 1999. As of 2025, more than 38,000 students from 18 U.S. states and 25 countries have participated. Robofest 2018–2019 Annual Report He has also launched several educational programs integrating computer science, robotics, and STEaM fields, including RoboParade (2006), Tom Watts (Nov 27, 2013) Thanksgiving RoboParade and Global Robotics Art Festival a big hit, Macomb Daily, Retrieved on July 24, 2020Micki Steele (Nov. 20, 2010) Science, technology all part of Thanksgiving RoboParade, The Detroit NewsDon Dubois, Bruce Mitchell (July 2012). RoboParade, Apple Books RoboFashion and Dance Show (2007), Don Dubois, Bruce Mitchell (July 2012). RoboFashion and Dance, Apple Books Vision Centric Robot Challenge (VCC) (2007),
Robot Music Camp (2013),
Global Robotics Art Festival (GRAF) (2013),
WRO-USA (2014),
CS+PA²: Learning Computer Science with Physical Activities and Animation (2018),
and Robofest eAcademy (2019).
Since 2003, Chung has served as faculty advisor for Lawrence Technological University’s Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition (IGVC) teams. His H2Bot team received the first-place design award in 2007 The 15TH Annual Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition Results, page 3, Retrieved June 17, 2020 His another team represented the United States in the RoboCup Four-Legged Robot Soccer Division the same year. The BigFoot II IGVC team won the Grand Award LESCOE Cup in 2016.
As of 2025, he leads the ACTor (Autonomous Campus TranspORt) project using a fullscale drive-by-wire electric vehicle. The ACTor vehicle team won the Self-Drive Challenge at the IGVC in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.
In 2011, IEEE USA awarded Chung the Citation of Honor for his contributions to STEM education.
Honours, Awards and Distinctions 2023 Hsu Family Distinguished Award in Creativity,Troy Times 1/11/24, retrieved on May 24, 2024 which includes a $1,000 honorarium and commemorative award, Lawrence Technological University, November 2, 2023 The Robert Neff Memorial Award, for outstanding contributions to the IEEE Southeast Michigan Section, by the Engineering Society of Detroit Affiliate Council, March 15, 2023 Engineering Society of Detroit (ESD) GOLD Awards – Outstanding IEEE Member Award, March 11, 2015, at ESD Gold Award Banquet Citation of Honor Award, IEEE-USA, "for the leadership in founding the Robofest competition to inspire interest in engineering among pre-college students", March 2011George F. McClure Citation of Honor Award Past Recipients, retrieved on June 2020 MGA Achievement Award, IEEE Member Geographic Activities (MGA) Board, "for inspiring thousands of young students into the science and engineering career path through his Robofest and hands-on robotics workshops", December, 2010IEEE MGA Award Recipients, retrieved on June 15, 2020 The Mary E. and Richard E. Marburger Distinguished Achievement Award – 2007 Champion for Institutional Excellence and Preeminence, which includes a $1,000 honorarium and commemorative award, Lawrence Technological University Excellent Research Award, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), December 31, 1986, Certificate No. 151
References and notes
External links Robofest Homepage CS+PA^2 World Robot Olympiad USA 2014 and 2015