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Archive of Reflections

Chang-Lin Tien: the Teacher and Scholar

Richard Atkinson | Horace Mitchell | C.D. "Dan" Mote Jr. | Henry T. Yang

"What's not quite recognized is his incredible talent in so many different areas. He was a fantastic teacher. He was truly a famous, distinguished researcher and scientist. He was a wonderful leader, a wonderful person. He was so dedicated.

He was a fantastic teacher. He was spectacular with graduate students. They loved him. They dedicated their work to him. The achievement isn’t only his own research, but the research of his students. After his death, there was a gathering that was attended by a long list of students who presented their experiences, their research that they were now doing was just astounding, a list of accomplishments by the people that worked with him. They were truly inspired by him.

He was a wonderful leader, a wonderful person at training graduate students, but he was brilliant with undergraduates. He was very concerned about students and what was in their best interest. Students quickly recognize someone who's really dedicated to doing a great job."

Richard Atkinson
President, 1995-2003
University of California

"He was very interested in students. He was totally committed to the graduate students who worked with him. There are many instances in which he would fly in from China, arrive at 11:30 at night, and go to his lab and meet with his graduate students. That happened more than once. I think he could get by on about four hours of sleep a night. And he had great relationships with the student body and the student officers."

Horace Mitchell
President
California State University, Bakersfield

"Chang-Lin saw himself first as a teacher and scholar. He loved his students--all of them. He would often stroll to Sproul Plaza to greet them, and he was famous for bringing cookies to those studying late in the library. He also sought to lead in his profession. In 1959, he came to Berkeley. He quickly rose to the top ranks on campus and on the national scene and, remarkably, he preserved his academic reputation at the highest levels throughout his extraordinary administrative service. His expertise in thermal science was often called upon by governments around the world--he helped solve problems with the Space Shuttle's insulating tiles and with the nuclear reactor meltdown at Three Mile Island; his work on "superinsulation" was used in the design of magnetically levitated trains in Japan. Being a distinguished scholar and teacher while serving as chancellor was a role that was both satisfying and essential to him."

C.D. "Dan" Mote Jr.
President
University of Maryland, College Park

"Professor Tien was well known for his passion for teaching, which extended far beyond the disciplines of thermal science and mechanical engineering. His lectures and seminars frequently covered topics in the social sciences, humanities, education, the environment, technology, and society."

Henry T. Yang
Chancellor
University of California, Santa Barbara

Photo of Chang-Lin Tien by John Blaustein, courtesy UC Berkeley

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