CESASC’s 63rd Annual Convention Ignites Hope, Unity, and Renewal

San Gabriel, CA • April 26, 2025 — Under the theme “Reunion, Reflect, and Restart”, more than 300 engineers, scientists, students, and civic leaders gathered at the Hilton San Gabriel for the Chinese American Engineers and Scientists Association of Southern California’s (CESASC) 63rd Annual Convention.

From sunlit afternoon forums to a luminous evening gala, our community came together in friendship, gratitude, and shared dreams—building bridges across generations and lighting the way toward a brighter future.

Afternoon Program: Learning, Connecting, and Dreaming

The day opened with warm reunions and vibrant conversations. Dr. Yongping Zhang led a forward-looking Technical Symposium, where Mr. Jingbo Lou introduced innovative building fire safety designs, and Ms. Tammie Tan illuminated how modern fire insurance practices protect communities.
Each insight reminded us: today’s advances are built on the dedication of those who came before.

Momentum carried into the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Forum, hosted by Dr. Jiachen Zhang. Dr. Chao Zhang (USC), Mr. John Chi (CEO of Synova Life Sciences), and Dr. Shu Li (CEO of Petri Bio) shared heartfelt stories of scientific breakthroughs and entrepreneurial resilience.

The afternoon culminated in Dr. Lingyun Gu’s keynote, “AI and the Infinite Cosmos Ahead,” a soaring vision of compassionate, technology-driven possibilities for humanity.

Evening Gala: Honoring Our Past, Uplifting Our Future

As twilight fell, the Hilton ballroom filled with light and anticipation. MCs Liping Yan, Sarah Liu, Jenny Zhang, and Elijah Riggins opened the gala with a touching CESASC retrospective video.

The Southern California Tsinghua Alumni Dance Team then delivered a graceful tribute, “A Special Love for a Special You,” honoring President Dr. Ying Zhan’s heartfelt leadership and celebrating CESASC’s enduring ties with Tsinghua alumni.

In her moving welcome, Dr. Ying Zhan reflected on 63 years of CESASC’s legacy—woven from teamwork, innovation, and service. Joined by Dr. Jonathan Jiang and President-elect Dr. Lei Xu, she introduced past presidents, whose brief reflections rekindled stories of perseverance, mentorship, and hope.

The evening’s emotional crescendo came as Brian Kao honored his late father by launching the inaugural Wei Kao Scholarship—a living bridge from past devotion to future generations.

Moments later, the long-awaited CESASC Anthem made its debut. Lyrics penned by Dr. Jonathan Jiang and Dr. Ying Zhan, set to music by Yu Xia—Tsinghua alumnus, piano medalist, and Microsoft Asia engineer—came alive through lead vocalist Bin Wang and guest singers.

As the final chorus rose, all past presidents, lifetime members, and guests stood, voices united across time, carrying CESASC’s spirit forward.

Dinner and conversations flowed into the evening, enriched by the elegant performance “Peach Blossom Spring.” Dr. Yongping Zhang and Dr. Jiachen Zhang shared highlights of the day’s knowledge exchange, followed by Dr. Gan Wang’s inspiring keynote, “The Future Is Generative,” unveiling a luminous vision of AI-powered innovation.

Scholarship Awards: Investing in the Future

The evening honored not only pioneers but rising stars.

• CESASC Scholarships ($1,200 each) were awarded to:

Bo Liu 劉博, Christopher Yeh 葉宗然, Wenzheng Heng 衡文正, Hong Han 韓弘, Ting-Yu Lu 盧廷瑜, Zhuonan Hao, Ethan Liu, Sue Yuan, Katelyn Zhou 周妤澜, and Ruth Alexandria Liu 劉韻美.

• The prestigious Jonathan H. Jiang Prize for Fundamental Science ($1,500 each) celebrated:
  • Ms. Fanya Xia (Chemistry): Advancing understanding of blood vessel growth in AVF maturation.
  • Ms. Xuan Ji (Physics): Defining habitable zones of eccentric exoplanets.
  • Mr. Suixuan Li (Physics): Discovering new heat flow behaviors in boron arsenide.
• The Lisa Lu Scholarship ($1,000 each) in Film, Literature, and Arts was awarded to: Chunyan Zhang (張春燕), Jiaqi Liu, and Marcus Quinn.

• CESASC STEAM Essay Contest winners (Topic: “Imagining Tomorrow: Society and AI Living Together”):
  • 1st Prize ($1,000): William Liang — “Becoming More Human”
  • 2nd Prize ($500 each): Yiran Gao and Daniel Shi
  • 3rd Prize ($250 each): Richard Hao and Junyao Zhang

The Jonathan H. Jiang Prize and the new Ying Zhan Grit-Optimism-Gratitude (GOG) Scholarship are now year-round open for application (全年開放申請) and awarded annually.
Starting in 2026, the GOG Scholarship will award two outstanding students each year, with $3,000 per recipient, inspiring leadership and resilience.

Contact Information for Scholarships:

• Jonathan H. Jiang Prize: foundationjhj@gmail.com
• Ying Zhan GOG Scholarship: cesascyingzhangog@gmail.com
• CESASC Scholarship & Lisa Lu Scholarship: cesasc@gmail.com

Looking Ahead: Unity and Renewal

Councilmember Tony Ding officiated the new 2025–2026 CESASC Board Installation, passing the ceremonial gavel across generations—from the 1986 past president to today’s leaders.
Incoming President Dr. Lei Xu, with the CESASC Anthem soaring in the background, accepted the mantle with heartfelt commitment to collaboration, innovation, and service.

We then celebrated the community’s spirit: honoring advisors, thanking outgoing board members, and recognizing tireless volunteers. Councilmember Ding also presented Certificates of Recognition to CESASC leaders for their outstanding contributions.

In closing, each board member offered one heartfelt sentence—brimming with gratitude and hope.
As the formal gala ended, music and laughter carried into the night, echoing CESASC’s enduring spirit: Reunion, Reflection, Restart—and Renewal.

CESASC is immensely grateful to the following donors for their generous sponsorship.

Title Sponsor:

CESASC Scholarship Foundation, Ying Zhan GOG Scholarship

Diamond Sponsors:

Jonathan H. Jiang Foundation, Lisa Lu Foundation

Platinum Sponsors:

Xuemei Wei – UBS Financial Services Inc., Silicon Valley Cleanrooms Design Institute, Sky Vision Holding

Gold Sponsors:

NewCare Company, Amy Chen, Boya Foundation, Sarah Liu, Penfolds

Silver Sponsors:

Beacon in the Cosmos LLC., Amy El Chang, UpMarket, Learning Tree Group, North America Chinese University Alumni Alliance, Torrance Memorial Medical Center, ivyMAX, Jenny Zhang, Charley Lu

Friendship Sponsor:

China Kide Engineering Corporation