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Committee Member; Professor, Structural Engineering
Professor Kenneth Loh is a Professor of Structural Engineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. His research focuses on human‑structure interactions, structural health monitoring, multifunctional materials, nanocomposites, and wearable technologies. He leads the Active, Responsive, Multifunctional, and Ordered‑materials Research (ARMOR) Laboratory, advancing stimuli‑responsive materials to enhance structural safety and human performance, and directs the Center for Extreme Events Research. A faculty affiliate of the Center for Wearable Sensors, Professor Loh’s work bridges engineering and materials innovation with real‑world resilience and human‑centered applications.
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Committee Member; Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Mathematics
Professor Lei Ni is a Professor of Mathematics at UC San Diego whose research focuses on geometric analysis, differential geometry, and Ricci flow. His work has significantly advanced understanding of curvature, geometric evolution equations, and the interplay between geometry and topology. Professor Ni has published influential results on heat kernels, eigenvalue estimates, and ancient solutions to geometric flows, contributing to fields central to modern geometric analysis. He earned his Ph.D. from Columbia University and has held visiting positions internationally. A dedicated educator and mentor, Professor Ni is recognized for both his deep theoretical insights and his contributions to the mathematical community.
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Committee Member; Director, 21st Century China Center; Professor, and Ho Miu Lam Chair in China and Pacific Relations, School of Global Policy and Strategy
Professor Victor Shih is Professor of Political Science at the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy, holding the Ho Miu Lam Chair in China and Pacific Relations and serving as Director of the 21st Century China Center. He is a leading expert on Chinese political economy, elite politics, and financial and fiscal policies, and the author of influential books including Factions and Finance in China and Coalitions of the Weak. His research, widely published in top academic journals, also includes work on Chinese elites and defense firms, and he teaches courses on Chinese politics and political economy.
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Committee Member; Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Professor Paul Yu is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UC San Diego and a faculty member in the Materials Science and Engineering program, where his research focuses on microwave photonics, optoelectronic devices, and advanced materials for high‑performance communications systems. He has worked for decades on technologies that enhance telecommunications and broadband optical signal transmission, including innovative photonic components. A Caltech Ph.D. and IEEE and Optical Society of America Fellow, Professor Yu’s work bridges engineering and materials science with transformative applications in optical communications and photonics.
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Committee Member; Faculty and Academic Coordinator of Chinese Language Program
Chen holds a bachelor degree in Western Literatures, and a Master of Arts degree in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language. Before joining Chinese Studies at UC San Diego in 2004, she taught Chinese at Harvard University for five years. Chen's research interests include literacy development, heritage language instruction and inclusive curriculum design.