The predecessor of Dept. of Thermal Science & Energy Engineering is Dept. of Engineering thermal Physics, which was established by distinguished scientist academician WU Zhonghua in 1958 and he was the department chair until 1960. Later this department was repealed and merged into Dept. of Modern Mechanics as a specialty of Engineering Thermal Physics. In 1983, this specialty came back as Dept. of Engineering Thermal Physics and renamed as Dept. of Thermal Science & Energy Engineering in 1992. The current department chair is Professor WANG Xiaohong.