In memory of Maa Jer-Ru: 1931-2023, the beloved and respected former president and honorary professor at NCKU
Written by Mingchun Wu. Image credit to NCKU News Center
NCKU is mourning the death of former President Jer-Ru Maa, who passed away on August 8th at NCKU hospital, at the age of 93.
NCKU is mourning the death of former President Jer-Ru Maa（馬哲儒）, who passed away on August 8th at NCKU hospital, at the age of 93.
“The late President Maa has been a role model. He made a significant contribution to our campus expansion and the research and development capability building,” said Meng-Ru Shen（沈孟儒）, the President of NCKU.
“Maa was a science education champion legacy and a humble, open-minded scholar to work with,” noted Hung-Shan Weng （翁鴻山）, the honorary professor of Department of Chemical Engineering.
Jer-Fu Ma, with former President Huey-Jen Jenny Su（蘇慧貞）, attended NCKU Chinese New Year reunion in 2018.
Dedicating 37 years to NCKU and the department of Chemical Engineering, Maa’s scientific researches were published in various international journals, with a range of topics in separation process, transport phenomena, boiling and condensation, surface and nucleation, water desalination, energy and water resource, etc.
Maa has received various awards for his academic excellency from the Ministry of Education, the National Science and Technology Council, the Chinese Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Phi Tau Phi Scholastic Honor Society of the Republic of China, China Foundation for the Promotion of Education and Culture, and the Society of Chemical Engineering in Taiwan. Maa was awarded as a Distinguished Alumni by the Pennsylvania State University.
In his NCKU Presidentship from 1988 to 1994, Maa achieved the expansion of Annan campus and North Tzu Chiang campus, medical school and NCKU hospital facilities, as well as the research center and laboratory of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. His plans for NCKU Cheng Kung campus expansion for a library and college of Engineering was granted NT$ 2.7 billion by the ministry of Education. In addition to the xxx of NCKU presidential selection procedures, Maa also launched the NCKU Research and Development Foundation and the NCKU committee for research and development (currently R&D office), achieving NCKU’s championship for university-industry cooperation in Taiwan.
Maa hold a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering at Taiwan Engineering College, a Master of Chemical Engineering at Villanova University and a PHD degree in Chemical Engineering at Penn State University. Maa became a professor of Chemical Engineering at NCKU in 1970, the Chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering at NCKU in 1978, and the Dean of the College of Engineering in 1981, and the President of NCKU from 1988 to 1994. Maa was awarded as the honorary professor in 2002 and worked as the chief editor of the Journal of Science Development, published by the National Science and Technology Council.
Maa wrote a couple of books in education and history. “The Law of Nature” is a must read in liberal education for university students in Taiwan. “Tree and People” is a documentation of the history of NCKU campus development. “The Ladder Against The Wall” is an educator’s reflection on humanity and cultural literacy. “The Editor’s Words” is a collection of all his chief editor notes published in the journal.
Maa’s wife, Yeou-Wei Yang（楊友偉）, holds a PHD degree in physics at Rochester University and is a professor at the department of Physics at NCKU.
To Learn more about Maa’s researches in chemical engineering
“The Nature of Law”, Maa’s online lectures by at NCKU
Share your memories with President Maa,In Memory of President Jer-Ru Maa
Provider:
NCKU News Center
Date:
2023-08-10
