Volunteer Spotlight: Chong Yung

This month, we highlight Chong Yung, a scientist and relationship builder at Agilent.

What do you do professionally?

I am currently the Associate Director of University Relations at Agilent, where I manage programs to facilitate research collaborations with universities worldwide.  Before University Relations, I was a staff scientist at Agilent Labs, where I helped invent and develop various cell analysis and genome engineering technologies.  My training is in chemical engineering with an emphasis on biotechnology.

How did you hear about SiE, and what made you volunteer your time?

I first learned about SiE in 2019 from Ms. Pass, the Principal of Alexander Rose Elementary School in Milpitas, CA.  I have always appreciated early childhood education, particularly science education, as a means of promoting social mobility and enduring equity.  As a practicing scientist, I could contribute to my local community by participating in science education outreach. When my son started kindergarten at Rose, I asked Ms. Pass if I could help as a classroom aide to provide my own science lessons to the children.  I was overjoyed to learn that Ms. Pass was planning to invite SiE to begin teaching at Rose, and I soon joined the SiE team as a volunteer. 

As a parent, what effect do you think SiE lessons have on the students and teachers?

The true value of SiE lessons, particularly for the youngest children, is to provide science literacy and appreciation even before learning any individual scientific concepts.  The SiE lessons are fun for the children, and it gets them excited and familiar with the world of science.  The excitement primes them for learning.  SiE lessons are viewed as a "treat" by the students, and I believe the teachers also leverage that excitement and the lessons to further support their own lesson plans.

Do your kids have a favorite SiE lesson or experiment?

I like the Alka Seltzer-film bottle rocket experiment the most.  The kids get really excited by the rocket shooting higher than the rooftops.  Hearing their screams of delight is very rewarding for me.  I also like the lesson with magnets.  Kindergarteners are surprisingly unaware that strong magnets can act at a distance.  So they get really surprised to see things move without physical connections.

Do you have a favorite memory or activity from a SiE lesson?

I remembered that students in kindergarten used to call me "Mr. Chong" because that was how I was introduced.  After one of my first lessons, my son Oliver, who was in the class, hugged me goodbye.  The other kids saw this and started copying him; before I knew it, several kids were hugging me.  I told the kids that Oliver was my son, and if they wanted, they could hug each other after the lessons in the future.  They really liked the SiE lessons.  To this day, I can be walking my son to school on any given morning, and hear school children greet me, saying "Hi, Oliver's Dad!" That is very rewarding.

You introduced SiE to the Philanthropic Programs at Agilent, your employer, and helped us to apply for several grants. Why do you think it is important for companies to support science education?

Companies like Agilent believe in being good corporate citizens, and giving back to communities, especially underserved communities worldwide.  Our company is fundamentally a science and engineering company, tracing our roots back to Hewlett Packard and the inception of Silicon Valley, so science education is deep within our genetic makeup.  Science literacy and appreciation benefit a thriving society, so companies that care about a bright, vibrant society should consider supporting science education.   Furthermore, companies that support their employees' philanthropic activities serve their communities and strengthen their internal company culture.  People like to work at companies that go beyond just doing business. 

Do you have any advice for others who would like to get their companies involved?

I took about a decade working at Agilent before learning about our philanthropic programs.  Everyone is busy, but if you can take ~30 mins out of their busy schedule to browse your company intranet and ask questions about potential philanthropic programs at your company, then you've taken the first step to getting your company involved.  If there is a program manager for philanthropic programs at your company, have lunch with them and get their direct advice on how to make things happen.