Chang-lin Tien GS '59, former University trustee and a prominent force in higher education died Oct. 29 at age 67.
Tien was chancellor of the University of California-Berkeley for seven years. As chancellor, he helped elevate Berkeley to a top research university despite budget cuts and retiring faculty by personally recruiting rising star professors.
Tien served as a Princeton University trustee from 1991 to 1995.
"What stands out about him is the extraordinary energy and enthusiasm he always put behind an idea," former President Shapiro said in a statement. "He wasn't simply the kind of person who demanded something. He had ideas. He wanted to work with you. He would give away more ideas in an afternoon than most people had in a career."
For his accomplishments, he was awarded the University's James Madison Medal in 2000.
Tien was born in China but came to the United States penniless in 1956 after graduating from National Taiwan University. After arriving in the United States, he earned an M.A. at the University of Louisville and received an M.A. and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Princeton.
Tien, an accomplished mechanical engineering professor in thermal radiation, thermal insulation and microscale thermal phenomena, was awarded the Max Jakob Memorial Award, the highest honor for heat transfer research.
He helped to found the Committee of 100, a nonpartisan group of prominent Chinese Americans dedicated to promoting dialogue and understanding between the United States and China.
As an educator, he advocated equal opportunity through affirmative action and helped to build a bridge between public K-12 education and higher education. Also, he created an East Asian center at Berkeley.
"For over 40 years, he has been a dedicated citizen of this campus, and he will be sorely missed," Berkeley Chancellor Robert Berdahl said.
Tien is survived by his wife and three children.
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