Savannah State Update:
- Featured Emerging Scholar: Dr. Chao Guan recognized by The EDU Ledger for research excellence and student mentorship.
- Teaching philosophy: Commits to providing students opportunities, training, and platforms to uplift individual and family success.
- Major grants: Principal investigator on the SCALE microelectronics workforce grant and co-director of a $1M Title III modernization grant.
- Mentorship and service: Mentors undergraduate researchers for national presentation and advises the SSU chapter of the National Society of Black Women in Medicine.
Dr. Chao Guan, Savannah State University (SSU) Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Forensic Science, was featured as one of the 2026 Emerging Scholars in the January issue of The EDU Ledger (formerly Diverse Issues in Higher Education). The article highlights Dr. Guan’s education and career, including his arrival at SSU in January of 2024.
As a first-generation college student, Dr. Guan is quoted as saying that his teaching philosophy is to “provide students opportunity, give them training and give them a platform, because I believe as long as one student can succeed, the whole family will be successful. They are not just changing their life, but they’re changing the whole family’s life.”
Dr. Guan is the SSU principal investigator on a $70,000 grant shared by Purdue University and SSU titled “Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement (SCALE): Microelectronics Workforce Development Program.” He is currently mentoring undergraduate researchers who will present at the SCALE conference in February in Washington, D.C. He also serves as an advisor for the SSU Collegiate Chapter of the National Society of Black Women in Medicine.
Dr. Guan is also the co-director of a $1 million Title III grant awarded in December 2025 as part of the Strengthening Institutions Program: “Building Modern Labs for Interdisciplinary Science Education and Research.”
A native of China, Dr. Guan holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Science from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, a master if polymer chemistry from Ningbo University in China, and a bachelor’s in chemical engineering and technology from Hubei Polytechnic University in China.
“We are incredibly proud of Dr. Guan’s recognition as an Emerging Scholar,” said Dr. Teresa Shakespeare, interim dean of the College of Sciences and Humanities. “Since his arrival on campus in 2024, Dr. Guan has set ambitious goals for instruction and student mentorship. His research excellence and sincere, energetic commitment to student success reflect the caliber of faculty and students we are cultivating at Savannah State University. This well-deserved honor speaks to the bright future of Dr. Guan, our students, and SSU.”
The EDU Ledger editors select honorees from a pool of candidates recommended by various scholars, department chairs, university public information officers, and others. Each scholar is selected based on research, educational background, publishing record, teaching record, competitiveness of field of study, and uniqueness of field of study. Each leader selected has demonstrated perseverance, tenacity and has had broad impact on the academy and beyond.
Dr. Guan was nominated by Dr. Kai Shen from Kennesaw State University and the former SSU Chair of Chemistry and Forensic Sciences, who worked with Dr. Guan.
The full article on Dr. Guan is available here: EMERGING SCHOLARS 2026 The EDU Ledger • January 15, 2026
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