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March 10, 2008
Thomas Tam
Professorship in
Asian-American
Studies
Chancellor
Matthew
Goldstein has
announced plans
to establish a
named
professorship in
honor of Dr.
Thomas Tam, a
former CUNY
trustee, CUNY
alumnus and
prominent
Asian-American
educator who
passed away on
Feb. 27 at age
62.
During a
memorial service
at the
University’s
Asian
American/Asian
Research
Institute on
March 9, the
Chancellor said
the Thomas Tam
Professorship in
Asian-American
studies would be
developed
jointly by the
CUNY Graduate
School and
University
Center and
Queens College.
Tam, a key
leader in the
Asian-American
community, led
the effort to
establish the
institute and to
create several
Asian-American
organizations
including the
Chinatown Health
Clinic (now the
Charles B. Wang
Community Health
Center), the
Asian American
Film Festival
and the Asian
American Higher
Education
Council.
“We are pleased
to name the
professorship in
honor of Dr.
Tam, who was a
highly regarded
educator whose
admirers
stretched far
beyond the
Asian-American
communities he
served in so
many beneficial
ways,” said the
Chancellor. “His
professional
career reflected
his deep
devotion to
education,
particularly at
the collegiate
level, and a
special emphasis
on community
health care and
education in New
York City and
elsewhere.”
CUNY Trustee
Wellington Z.
Chen said, “Dr.
Tam clearly gave
us far more than
what we can ever
repay him. We
will all
remember his
legacy and will
try to follow
his footsteps.”
Tam was a
renaissance man.
The Chinese
immigrant earned
a bachelor’s
degree in
physics from
City College; a
master’s in
filmmaking from
Montclair State
University in
New Jersey; a
master’s in
public health
and a doctorate
in socio-medical
sciences from
Columbia
University.
He taught at
Lehman College,
Columbia
University and
St. Joseph’s
University in
Philadelphia.
While he was a
CUNY trustee
from 1989 to
1996, he served
on several
presidential
search
committees. He
organized the
first Asian
American Higher
Education
Council, which
was made up of
faculty and
staff from
throughout CUNY.
“Dr. Tam worked
diligently on
behalf of CUNY
and the Asian
community,” said
the Chancellor.
“He was
instrumental in
establishing the
exchange program
between CUNY and
Shanghai.”
The Chancellor
added that the
Asian
American/Asian
Research
Institute that
Dr. Tam
co-founded will
continue to
carry on his
important work.
The institute, a
University-wide
scholarly
research and
resource center
established in
2001, focuses on
policies and
issues that
affect Asians
and
Asian-Americans.
It covers
Asian-American
studies, East
Asian studies,
South Asian
studies and
trade and
technology
studies. Two
years ago, the
Chancellor
established a
student
scholarship
administered by
the institute in
Dr. Tam’s honor.
Many of its key
programs,
including the
Friday evening
lecture series,
the CUNY Asian
American Film
Festival; and
workshops on
China in the
21st Century,
tai chi, Chinese
calligraphy and
cinema, were
established by
Dr. Tam with the
assistance of
CUNY student
staff, during
the four years
he was its
executive
director. Nine
major
conferences on
topics as
diverse as
global
entrepreneurship
and the
well-being of
senior citizens
also were held
during his
tenure.
In addition to
Asian-American
issues, Dr. Tam
devoted his life
to education,
health care and
film. One of his
short films was
shown at the
Whitney Museum
of American Art.
A pillar of the
city’s Chinese
community, Dr.
Tam was honored
by many
organizations,
including the
Chinese-American
Planning Council
and the New York
Chinese
Bilingual
Educators
Committee. He
also received a
special award
from The
Institute of
Chinese Culture.
From CUNY
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