1998 CAFA Awards

Dr. Tu-nan Chang, Professor and Chair of the Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Southern California and the CAFA President of 1996-97, is an internationally known theoretical physicist in Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics. His scientific works include a book on Many-body Theory of Atomic Structure and Photoionization and numerous review chapters and papers in books and leading scientific journals. He has presented close to hundred seminars and invited talks in scientific meetings. In addition to being an elected Fellow of the American Physical Society, he has served on its Program, Nominating, and Fellowship Committees. His other professional activities include membership on the Advisory Board of the Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences of the Academia Sinica in Taipei from 1983-1996 and the organizing committee of many international conferences, workshops, and symposiums. In 1983, together with the late Professor Robert T. Poe, Professor Edward Yen, and other scientists in Taiwan, he contributed substantially to a feasibility study that eventually led to the Synchrotron Radiation Research Center in Hsinchu.

In 1994, he became the first Asian American professor elected to represent the faculty at USC as the President of the Academic Senate until 1996. At USC, he was recognized in 1990 by the International Students Assembly as the Faculty Member of the Year. In addition to his numerous faculty committee assignments, he has participated actively in the ethnic student mentoring and orientation programs and served on the Martin Luther King Birthday Celebration Committee in 1993-95.

He received his B. S. degree in physics at the Tunghai University in Taichung in 1966. He completed his Ph. D. work at the University of California, Riverside and joined the faculty at USC in 1975 after spending two years as a research associate at the University of Chicago.

His wife, Hsiao-lin, works at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after a long career at the City of Hope National Medical Center. They have two daughters, Amy Chia-Mae and Angela Chia-Loh.

Service Award - Professor Kwang-wen Chu

Dr. Kwang-wen Chu was born in Jiangsu, China in 1935. After completing his BA in Economics at National Taiwan University in 1958, he continued his education in the United States. He earned an MA degree in Economics from the University of Minnesota in 1960 and Ph. D. in Economics from UCLA in 1972. Dr. Chu has been on faculty at California State University, Fullerton since 1970. He is currently Professor of Economics at that institution. Professor Chu has written over twenty papers on Social Security, the Economics of Aging and Economic Development of Pacific Rim Countries and numerous book reviews.

Dr. Chu is very active in community services. He served as Oversea Chinese Commissioner for several years. Concerned about our next generation's exposure to Chinese culture and tradition, he served as Chinese School Principal and Secretary of the Council of Chinese School in Southern California and later President of that organization.

Dr. Chu's association with CAFA spanned over twenty years. He has been a member since 1976 and served as president twice: first in 1981-83 and then in 1991-92. The current CAFA constitution was amended and ratified during his 1981-83 term and starting use of organization name 'Chinese-American Faculty Association of Southern California." The first CAFA Directory was published using computerized file in 1982. Dr. Chu served on many CAFA committees, including Scholarship, Membership, Public Relations Dr. Chu is currently a board member of the CAFA Scholarship Foundation .

Return to CAFA Awards Home Page

Return to CAFA Home Page