Southern California Alumni Association Handover: Leading TMU Toward Global Excellence
On November 21, the Taipei Medical University (TMU) Alumni Association of Southern California held its presidential handover ceremony in Alhambra. President Ssu-Hui Yeh (葉思輝) officially passed the torch to the newly elected President, Yuan-Ching Lin (林元清). Under the dedicated leadership of past presidents, the association has not only strengthened the bonds of alumni living in the U.S. but has also played a pivotal role in supporting TMU's major international exchange initiatives.
[Photo: New President Yuan-Ching Lin (林元清, left 2) accepts the responsibility from outgoing President Ssu-Hui Yeh (葉思輝, right 2), witnessed by 2005-2006 President Mei-Min Wang (王美民, right 1).]
Building Bridges Between Southern California and TMU
New President Yuan-Ching Lin (林元清) noted that there are nearly 500 TMU alumni in Southern California, with networking events held annually. He highlighted TMU's recent outstanding performance, including active academic exchanges with 104 sister schools worldwide. Furthermore, TMU has collaborated with UCLA and USC to promote exchange internships and medical research projects. Moving forward, the alumni association will continue to serve as a strong pillar of support for their alma mater.
A Legacy of Unity and Milestone Events
Outgoing President Ssu-Hui Yeh (葉思輝) expressed his gratitude to the past presidents, board members, and secretaries for their immense support in organizing alumni gatherings.
A major highlight of his term was the grand alumni dinner held in November 2009 at the Pacific Palms Resort in Southern California. The event was graced by heavyweight guests from Taiwan, including:
Tsu-Der Lee (李祖德), Chairman of the TMU Board of Trustees
Wen-Ta Chiu (邱文達), President of TMU
Superintendents and Vice Superintendents from TMU's three affiliated hospitals.
During the event, President Wen-Ta Chiu (邱文達) provided a detailed briefing on TMU's proud achievements and future vision, successfully unifying the spirit of TMUers overseas.
Advancing Global Partnerships
In August 2010, President Chiu led another delegation to the U.S. Through the coordination of distinguished alumni Dr. Yuan-Ching Lin (林元清) (Medicine, Class 6; TMU Trustee) and Dr. Fang-Yang Tsai (蔡芳洋) (Medicine, Class 1), TMU successfully signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with the medical schools of UC Irvine and USC. This marked a significant step in TMU's journey toward internationalization.
A Heart for Service
President Ssu-Hui Yeh (葉思輝) graduated from TMU in 1987 and initially served at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica. He later pursued Master's and Doctoral degrees in Immunology and Traditional Chinese Medicine in the U.S. before opening his practice in Irvine.
[Photo: President Ssu-Hui Yeh (葉思輝, right) and his daughter visit President Wen-Ta Chiu (邱文達) at TMU.]
In late 2007, encouraged by former President Mary Wang (王美民), Dr. Yeh took on the two-year presidency with a heart for service. Despite his busy clinic, he successfully managed association affairs with the unwavering support of his wife. He credited her for her tireless efforts in handling logistics and reaching out to alumni via phone and email to ensure no one was left out.
Looking Toward the Future
As Dr. Yeh passes the baton to the highly respected Dr. Yuan-Ching Lin (林元清), he expressed full confidence that under Dr. Lin's wise leadership, TMU will continue to demonstrate its ambition to become a world-class medical university.
Source: Office of Public Affairs