American Dream: Taiwan-Born UF Professor Wins Prestigious NASA Award
On this Fourth of July, University of Florida professor Jacob Chung, Ph.D., stands as the epitome of the American Dream.
In 1971, at age 23, he moved to the United States from Taiwan with one suitcase and $1,000. He had earned his bachelor’s degree from National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan and planned to become an aerospace engineer in America. He entered the master’s program in the nuclear engineering department at the University of Missouri.
“The feelings that I had at that time basically were excitement, hope, and thankfulness about the opportunities ahead,” recalled Chung.
Now an esteemed professor with the UF’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Chung was awarded NASA’s Exceptional Public Service Medal in late June. The award is among the highest honors bestowed by the NASA Glenn Research Center Awards Office and is “an acknowledgement of significant contributions to NASA’s mission and purpose,” according to the award letter.