NTHU faculty and students share a special sense of joy and honor when their former president, Dr. Frank Hsia-San Shu was honored as the recipient of this year's Harvard Centennial Medal. The Harvard Centennial Medal was established by the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and first presented at the school's centennial anniversary ceremony in 1989. Since then, two to four medals are given to outstanding alumni who have made significant contributions to the society annually. Past recipients include Nobel Prize winners in Economics, Dr. James Tombin (1981) and Dr. Robert Solow (1987), in Physics, Dr. Philip Anderson (1977), in Chemistry, Dr. Water Kohn (1988); and Wolf Prize Winner in Chemistry, Dr. Richard Zare (2005); Canadian writer Margaret Atwood; notable American philosopher and critic Susan Sontag; and famous writer and historian Kevin Starr.

Dr. Shu is recognized as one of the world's leading astrophysics theorists. His spiral galaxy formation and planet formation theories are unique and insightful. In addition, Dr. Shu is an Academician of Academia Sinica, and Member of the National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences and American Philosophical Association. He is also a Foreign Academician of the Royal Astronomical Society in England as well as the first president of Chinese descendant of the American Astronomical Society.

Aside from his international academic reputation, Dr. Shu is also revered for his contribution to Taiwan's higher education. In April 2008, he was awarded the Education-Culture Medal by the Ministry of Education for his special contribution to higher education in Taiwan.

Congratulation, President Emeritus Shu!