Chang-Sik Ha


Chang-Sik Ha is a polymer and materials scientist, author, and academic. He is an emeritus professor of Chemical Engineering at Pusan National University.
Ha's research focuses on periodic mesoporous organosilicas, organic–inorganic nanohybrids, and functional polymers such as polyimides and silsesquioxanes. He is a member of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology.

Education

Ha received his B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from Pusan National University in 1978. In 1980, he received an M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and earned a Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Engineering in 1987 from the same university.

Career

Ha began working as a full-time lecturer in Pusan National University's Department of Polymer Science and Engineering in 1982. He was subsequently appointed as an assistant professor in 1985, an associate professor in 1989, and then as a professor in 1994 at Pusan National University, a position he held until his retirement in 2021. Since then, he has been a distinguished professor and has held the title of emeritus professor.
Ha was vice president of Pusan National University from 2012 to 2013 and also directed research initiatives at the National Research Laboratory of Nano-Information Materials between 2003 and 2008, as well as at the Pioneer Research Center for Nanogrid Materials from 2010 to 2016. Later, he assumed the role of editor-in-chief of Macromolecular Research between 2008 and 2011. He is also the Asia editor for Composite Interfaces.

Research

Ha's research has explored periodic mesoporous organosilicas and advanced hybrid polymers. He identified PMOs as promising sensor materials due to their stable physicochemical properties, biocompatibility, and scalability. He also showed that the incorporation of hetero-aromatic components into PMOs can enable selective molecular recognition and stimuli-responsive drug delivery. In his book Periodic Mesoporous Organosilica, co-authored with Sung Soo Park, he provided an overview of PMO synthesis, properties, and applications in catalysis, sensing, biomedicine, and materials engineering.
Ha published Hydrophobic and Superhydrophobic Organic–Inorganic Nanohybrids with Saravanan Nagappan, which highlighted the development, enhanced properties, and potential applications of these materials across environmental and energy technologies. He further underscored the importance of organic–inorganic hybrid nanomaterials as functional components for applications in nanomedicine, food packaging, and catalysis, noting that the development of semiconducting polymer–inorganic hybrid nanocomposites has further expanded their significance. In parallel, his studies on polyimides highlighted their structural and functional characteristics such as thermal stability, mechanical strength, and dielectric properties, which make them suitable for advanced material systems. Moreover, he published Advances in Organic Light-Emitting Devices with Youngkyoo Kim, in which they discussed the principles of organic electroluminescence and the progress in the design and optimization of light-emitting devices.
Ha explored colorless polyimides as durable, high-performance materials for advanced technological applications. He also highlighted that the enhanced stability of polyimide-based hybrids arises from strong interfacial bonding with inorganic components such as iron or silica. Additionally, he studied PHA polymers with diverse compositions, as well as superhydrophobic fiber-based surfaces for applications such as self-cleaning textiles.

Awards and honors