What is your NMU connection?
I graduated from NMU with an MA degree in Chemistry in December 1974.
Your favorite NMU memory or story
I met my wife of 48 years in Marquette while I was attending NMU. I was the first Asian to receive the MNU Distinguished Alumni Award in 1996.
Who is the most influential person you met during your time at NMU and why were they so influential?
Professor Dr. Jerry Roth is the most influential person I met during my time at NMU. He was my research advisor. Dr.
Roth later became the Head of the Chemistry Department at NMU. We developed a decade-long personal relationship after I left Marquette. Through Dr. Roth, I established a memorial scholarship in the Chemistry Department to support a
chemistry graduate student in doing research work in the summer. The scholarship ran until 2002, when Dr. Roth passed away. I worked for Dow. Through Dr. Roth, I also helped make the connection between Dow and NMU and arranged the donation of research equipment from Dow to NMU in the 80's. Dow also donated a whole set of Chemical Abstracts to NMU's library through this connection.
Tell us about the significance of any teams, clubs or organizations you were part of during your time at NMU
I was a part of the Chemistry Department graduate student team. Graduate students in the Chemistry Department had a big shared office room in West Science. We were like a family. We spent a lot of time in that room to do our studies, to give tutorial lectures to undergraduate students, and to socialize in that room.
What is/was your favorite thing to do in Marquette?
I met my future wife of 48 years in Marquette. Other than doing research in the lab and doing our studies in the office
room in West Science, our favorite thing to do was to drive to Presque Isle to watch the waves of Lake Superior.
Talk about any significant/memorable sporting events, weather occurrences or other on-campus activities
Graduate students in the Chemistry Department had very busy lives. We didn't have time to participate in any sporting
events or on-campus activities, but we socialized a lot in our shared office room. Sometimes, we ate lunch and dinner
together in that room.
Share any dorm/roommate stories you may have
I lived in Spooner Hall during the first semester when I attended NMU. I came from Hong Kong and NMU was the first place I lived in the US. My roommate’s name was Joe Circumski. I did not have a driver's license at that time. Joe used his car to teach me how to drive. He let me drive from Marquette to Copper Harbor with him so I could practice. He also helped me to get my first US driver's license.
What is your current or former profession?
I spent almost 30 years with the Dow Chemical Company and retired as the only Chief Scientist of the company. Now I
am a consultant for the chemical and plastics industry.
How did NMU help you get to where you are today?
Because of my background at NMU, I had a very successful career in the chemical and plastics industry worldwide.
Other than the NUM Distinguished Alumni award, I received three American Chemical Society (ACS) awards (The Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award in 1993, the Corporative Research Award in 2001, and the Heroes of Chemistry Award in 2022), the National Inventor of the Year from the US Senate in 1994, the Life Time Achievement Award from the Society of Plastics Engineer (SPE) in 2006, and the Dow Research Medal in 2000. I was named Fellow of the Society for SPE in 2000 and I was inducted into the Plastics Hall of Fame in 2006. Dr. Roth and NMU trained me to do science smartly and effectively.