LANCASTER, Calif. — James S.B. Chew, a graduate of Antelope Valley High School’s Class of 1979, and a leader in aerospace science and technology, will be inducted to the AVHS Hall of Fame on Oct. 13, 2023.
Chew, who grew up in Lancaster, left the High Desert after high school to study mechanical engineering and returned after college to embark on a hypersonic career path to national leadership in aerospace science and defense.
Chew is currently Senior Global Group Director, Aerospace and Defense for Cadence Design Systems, and chairs the National Defense Industrial Association Science and Engineering Technology Division.
Based in Washington, D.C., and residing in Fredericksburg, Va., he will be in the AV High School library for 5:30 p.m. induction ceremonies with other honorees, to be followed by their presentation to the crowd before the Homecoming Game kickoff.
Chew began his 38-year career as a propulsion engineer for Boeing Aerospace Co., progressing to senior engineer. Transitioning to management, he served as program chief for the Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory and was director of Rocket Propulsion Technology Plans and Programs for the Air Force Phillips Laboratory.
Chew was subsequently appointed Assistant Staff Specialist for Weapons Technology in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and Deputy Director of Air and Surface Weapons Technology for the Office of Naval Research.
Moving into the private sector, Chew provided leadership to a widening list of technology firms requiring his wide set of skills and abilities. He served as vice president for the Military and Specialty Global Business Unit at Exide. He also served as Strategic Development Director for Advanced Technologies and Concepts at General Atomics, where he positioned the company to be the technological leader in underwater anti-access area denial.
Chew’s first career hallmark came early. In his first job at Boeing Aerospace, James Chew developed the solid divert propulsion system that transitioned to the Navy’s Theater Missile Defense program, and he helped develop Boeing’s first electro-magnetic gun, and wrote the first technical overview on carbon-carbon rocket nozzle technology.
Chew headed the Air Force Research Team that received the 1991 Science and Technology Achievement Award for applications of low-cost polymers for solid rocket propulsion. Heading development and execution of the national Integrated High Payoff Rocket Propulsion Technology program (IHPRPT), Chew’s team received the Federal Executive Board Major Accomplishment Award.
At the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Chew led development and execution of a focused technology program to sustain national strategic systems. And at the Office of Naval Research, he re-focused Navy’s $100M Air and Surface Weapons Technology portfolio to quickly create new warfighting capabilities. In recognition, he was awarded two commendations from the Chief of Naval Research for program management excellence.
At T/J Technologies, Chew refocused the company to its core competency of developing new materials for advanced electrochemistry applications. Under his leadership, Crain’s Business Daily as one of Michigan’s “20 Largest Technology-based Companies” recognized T/J. He completed the successful merger of operations between T/J Technologies and A123 Systems.
In his time at ATK, Chew employed a strategy to transform the company from a commodity weapons supplier to a leader in Space and Defense systems. At another firm, SAIC, Chew pioneered the concept of using commercial satellites to host Defense Department payloads to meet national security requirements more affordably.
In interviews and conversations with this writer, Chew credits the quality education he received, along with the support of his father who was a pioneer of grassroots rocket science in the early years of testing at the site overlooking Edwards AFB.
Growing up in what was the small town of Lancaster, Chew remembers going to the Fair on Avenue I, hanging out with friends, working part time at A&W and learning to love learning in high school, and getting a head start on his career learning at what was then AV (Junior) College. Being of Chinese heritage at a time and place where Asian residents were both few in number and not well understood, even after multiple generations as American citizens, was a concern, but for James Chew’s outgoing personality, disarming sense of humor and intellect broke down barriers from Main Street to Wall Street to Pennsylvania Avenue.
With AV High as his launch pad, Chew took his Bachelor of Science degree at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, a Master of Science at USC, became a Stanford University Executive Engineering Program graduate, and finished off with the Defense Systems Management College Advanced Program.
In his spare time, James Chew is a prolific writer, the author of more than 60 technical publications and countless published articles on his second-love of life: Cars! He moonlighted as an automotive consultant to Chrysler, a freelance car columnist, and remains a frequent contributor to the magazine of his favorite ride, BMW.
Chew is also a rising star on the speaker’s circuit. In 2012 he was a panelist for the National Academies seminar, Assuring the U.S. Department of Defense a Strong Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Workforce,
Having been recognized as 2009 CalPoly Pomona College of Engineering Distinguished Alumnus, James S.B. Chew is a frequent speaker there.
James is married to the former Michelle Farren, of Philadelphia, Penn. They have two daughters, Madeline and Josephine.
