UCL Professor Jian Kang selected for the Rayleigh Medal by the UK Institute of Acoustics

The Rayleigh Medal is the Institute of Acoustics' premier award, awarded without regard to age to persons of undoubted renown for outstanding contributions to acoustics.

The medal is named after John William Strutt, Third Baron Rayleigh (1842-1919). His book 'The Theory of Sound' remains a landmark text in the development of acoustics.

Jian Kang has worked in the acoustics field for forty years, and collaborated on more than eighty research projects, 800+ publications, and more than ninety engineering/ consultancy projects. His work on acoustic theories, design guidance and products has brought major improvements to the noise control in underground stations/tunnels and soundscape design in urban areas.

Jian is President of the International Institute of Acoustics and Vibration (IIAV), and he also chairs the European Acoustics Association Technical Committee for Noise, and the EU COST Action on Soundscape of European Cities and Landscapes. He is Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, and also a Member of Academia Europaea − The Academy of Europe. He is recipient of the prestigious Advanced ERC Grant Award, currently working internationally on developing Soundscape Indices.

The selection panel noted that Professor Kang had made:

“A prodigious contribution to environment acoustics and, in particular, the behaviour of sound in the built environment.

Jian noted:

“I am delighted to receive the medal, which not only recognises my personal achievements over the last 40 years, but also the importance of the discipline of environmental acoustics, especially soundscape, which is the current focus of our research group. I am very grateful to all of my collaborators and team members for their support over the years.

Jian will present his Medal Lecture at this year’s IOA conference in Winchester, on 16^th-17^th October 2023.

Image credit: IOA