1996 CAFA Awards

Professor Michael M.C. Lai is a world renowned research scientist in microbiology. He is recognized for his seminal contributions in virology, including his recent works on hepatitis, demyelination, and murine coronavirus RNA synthesis. In addition to numerous seminars and invited lectures presented at national and international meetings, he was named the Foundation Lecturer of the American Society for Microbiology in 1987 and 1994 and the RNA Virus Divisional Lecturer of the American Society of Microbiology in 1990. He is also an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He has served on the Editorial Board for a number of scientific journals, including Journalof Biological Chemistry, Virology, Virus Research, Intervirology , Journal of Virology and Journal of Biomedical Science. He has also served on many advisory boards and scientific review committees for various research institutes and professional organizations. He has been recognized by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Burlington Northern Foundation, and the Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America. He is credited with the training of a large number of Ph.D. students and research associates, including many faculty members at leading universities and research institutes. He was the President of the Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America from 1991-92. He was elected as an academician of the Academia Sinica in 1992. His most recent honor includes an Excellence in Teaching Award at the USC School of Medicine. He is also a CAFA life member.

Professor Lai was born in Tainan, Taiwan in 1942. He received his M.D. degree, Summa Cum Laude, from the National Taiwan University in 1968 and completed his Ph.D. degree in Molecular Biology at the University of California, Berkeley in 1973. He joined the faculty of the University of Southern California in 1973, where he is now a professor in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology.

Professor Lai and his wife, Dr. Cathy Hwei-ying Wung, reside in Pasadena and have two daughters, Cindy and Jennifer.

Service Award - Henry W. S. Chi

Mr. Henry Chi was born in China. He received his B .S. degree in Civil Engineering from Chiao Tung University, Shanghai, China 1946 and his M.S. degree from the University of Southern California in 1949. After graduating from USC, Mr. Chi worked for M.K. Goldsmith and Associates, a consulting structural engineering firm, later became Goldsmith, Chi and Associates in 1959. After Mr. Goldsmith retired in 1972, he became the president and chairman of the board of directors for Goldsmith, Chi and Associates, until his retirement in 1990. He is now a consultant to Hughes Aircraft Co. and several hospitals.

Mr. Chi has 40 years of professional experience in structural engineering. He was responsible for the design and construction of numerous large projects for the federal government, state and local governments, and commercial projects. Among them are: Recruit complex, Receiving and Service School Barracks for the Navy at San Diego, Missile Service Center at Seal Beach, residence halls for UC Santa Barbara, Franz Halls for UCLA, Engineering buildings for San Jose State University, Municipal Courts for Rio Hondo, West Covina, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and more,twenty schools for the Los Angeles Unified School District, City of Hope in Duarte, Kahala Mall Shopping Center in Honolulu, Litton Industry Headquarters in Beverly Hills, Holiday Inn in Hollywood, etc. During the last 20 years, his firm was structural consultant for Hughes Aircraft Co., Aerospace Corp., and Matell Corp.

Mr. Chi is a member of Tau Beta Pi, Fellow and Life Member of American Society of Civil Engineering and Structural Engineers Association of Southern California. He was one of the founders of CESASC and served as its first president. In the past, he has served CESASC as director, adviser, committee chairs for membership, honor and award, industrial relationship, advertisement, newsletter, and Scholarship Foundation's first president. He is also a founding memberof CAFA Scholarship Foundation.

He also served as elder for the First Baptist Church of Redondo Beach. Since 1972, after the first trip to China he has been actively promoting U.S. China friendship.

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