Dear all,
Thank you for your heartfelt tributes to Sunney. Your love and respect for him are deeply appreciated. The symposium we held was less than ideal in fully honoring Sunney’s legacy. Nonetheless, we would like to share two upcoming initiatives dedicated to celebrating his life and contributions:
Sunney I. Chan Memorial Travel Award
The Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, is establishing an Endowment Fund, namely the Sunney I. Chan Memorial Travel Award. You are warmly invited to contribute to this perpetual fund and help carry forward Sunney’s legacy of mentorship.
https://forms.gle/MTd3S4QKoLRSVLak6
A Permanent Website by Academia Sinica
Because the symposium could not capture the full breadth of Sunney’s impact, the Institute of Chemistry, Academia Sinica, will launch a permanent website to commemorate Sunney. This website will go live on October 5—Sunney’s birthday. We invite further contributions in the following areas:
- A complete list of Chan Lab members in the U.S.
- Written tributes from awardees of the Cynthia A. Chan Memorial Lecture, the Mr. and Mrs. Sun Award, and the Sunney Chan Lecture.
- Personal stories of how Sunney changed your life path—whether you are a chemist or not.
- Memorable words of wisdom or inspiring comments you heard from Sunney, with or without accompanying photos.
- Additional stories about Sunney (we have already received wonderful slides highlighting his time as Master of Student Houses at Caltech).
- Other categories as deemed appropriate.
Please let us know if you are able to contribute to any of the categories listed above. We would be most grateful if you could send your materials to Rita Chen (pyc@as.edu.tw) or Jerry Chan (chanjcc@ntu.edu.tw) by August 31, 2025. Files in PDF, PPTX, or DOCX format are all acceptable.
We hope this website will serve as a lasting source of inspiration—especially for young people who may not have known Sunney personally but will surely be touched by his warmth, wit, and extraordinary character.
With love and remembrance,
Michael Chan
David Wu
Rita Chen
Jerry Chan
(On behalf of all who honor the life and legacy of Sunney)