Gretchen Kalonji served as the Dean of the Sichuan University-Hong Kong Polytechnic University Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction and as Strategic Advisor to the Institutional Development of Sichuan University. She brings to these positions the experience of having served almost four years as the Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences at UNESCO, a position she assumed in July 2010.  Kalonji was responsible for strengthening the efforts of the organization in all aspects of the science and engineering enterprise, and for working together with the rest of UNESCO’s senior leadership team in the design and implementation of interdisciplinary programs focusing on poverty eradication and sustainable development.

Awards

Presidential Young Investigator Award, 1984

University of Washington Mortar Board Ann Baker Award, 1993

George Westinghouse Award, American Society of Engineering Educators, 1994

Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 1993

NSF Director’s Award for Distinguished Teaching Scholar, 2001

Leadership Award, International Network for Engineering Education and Research, 2003.

Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecturer, 2005–2007.

Scientific research project

1. Integrated Disaster Science and Management

2. Jiu Zhaigou Earthquake Disaster reconstruction and recovery following research

Cultivation of talents

PhD supervisor of Safety Science and Disaster Reduction major