Pioneer Member

Teh-hui Kao – My professional interactions with Professor Chu-Yung Lin were mainly through our serving together on the scientific advisory board (SAB) of the Institute of Plant & Microbial Biology (IPMB) and the SAB of the Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center (ABRC), Academia Sinica, Taiwan. I first met Professor Lin during the very first SAB meeting I attended in the late 1990’s. However, I came to know his name long before that time, as I had gotten to know a number of prominent Taiwanese plant biologists working in the States or in Taiwan, and almost all of them either received their research training in his lab, or took courses with him, while attending National Taiwan University. They all had fond memories of their association with Professor Lin, and they were very proud of belonging to this “elite club.” With an image of a “Big-Shot Professor” in mind, I couldn’t believe what a humble and down-to-earth person he was when I first met him. He took a special interest in me, because both he and I were trained as chemists, in fact both having graduated from the Chemistry Department of National Taiwan University, but later saw the “green light” and got into plant biology research. In the ensuing years, he would ask me to visit him every time I returned to Taiwan for meetings. I took up his kind invitation several times, and I was always warmly welcomed to his office in the Life Science Building of National Taiwan University. We chatted about many different things, including his long research journey, over the special coffee he brewed right in his office. Sometimes, he would drive me to dinner at one of his favorite restaurants. I had plenty of experiences of his “fearless” driving through the heavy traffic in Taipei! One time, when he learned that my father happened to be visiting friends in Taiwan at the same time when I was visiting, he invited both of us to his office and then to a private eating club he belonged to. He and my father were students at National Taiwan University at about the same time (my father majoring in Chemical Engineering), so they had many common friends, but somehow they didn’t know each other then. My father really appreciated the opportunity to reminisce about their student days. Professor Lin was not only a great educator and scientist, but also a very kind and generous human being.

Professor Lin and I must have attended more than 10 SAB meetings at IPMB, or ABRC, together. For the last four SAB meetings at IPMB, I was in charge of writing the SAB Report after gathering comments from other members of the advisory board, so I worked even more closely with Professor Lin. He preferred to communicate with me by phone rather than by e-mail, and he would call my office in the US from Taiwan to share his comments, often late at night in Taiwan because of the 12- or 13-hour time difference between Taiwan time and East Coast time. I last interacted with Professor Lin in early March 2015 at the SAB meeting of ABRC, about seven months before his passing. I attended as an ad hoc member, as ABRC was concerned that Professor Lin might not be able to attend due to health issues. It was really a very pleasant surprise for everyone that Professor Lin showed up the first morning of the meeting! He sat next to me and stayed engaged throughout the entire two-and-a-half-day meeting. His dedication and strong sense of responsibility was simply amazing. At the end of the meeting, he left the room, but quickly returned to retrieve an item he had forgotten. That was the last time I saw him.

Professor Lin was a remarkable educator and scientist in plant biology and a humble human being. It was truly a great honor to have gotten to know him. His impact on many generations of young scientists will be long-lasting and his legacy will live on for many more generations.

Zinmay Sung – In 1967, Dr. Lin Chu-Yung joined the Department of Botany at National Taiwan University (NTU) as a visiting professor. I had the privilege of taking his course on nucleic acid biochemistry during my senior year. After graduation, I pursued further studies abroad and later taught at the University of California, Berkeley. During this time, Professor Lin returned to NTU to lead the Department of Botany.

Over the past two to three decades, I frequently visited Taiwan for academic exchanges and research collaborations, which allowed me to continue learning from Professor Lin. He often treated me to dinner and enjoyed taking us to steakhouses. During these meals, he would talk about his students, notable figures in the botanical world, as well as his passions for classical music and golf.

Professor Lin’s lifelong mission was to advance plant biology in Taiwan. He worked tirelessly to maintain the prominence of plant research within Taiwan’s scientific community. In recent years, he focused on improving the botanical curriculum at NTU, striving to secure a dedicated laboratory and greenhouse for botanical teaching at the Institute of Botany. It is my hope that his colleagues in Taiwan and alumni abroad will continue to work diligently to realize his final wish.

The last time I saw Professor Lin was during my visit to Academia Sinica in July 2015. We had dinner at the NTU campus restaurant, where he asked when I would return. I mentioned I would come again in March next year. Professor Lin responded, “I’m afraid I can’t wait that long.” At the time, he was in good health and moving swiftly. It is with a heavy heart that I reflect on his words now. I believe Professor Lin and his beloved wife are united again in heaven.