School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science names first professorship
Gift from Penn State alumnus and spouse will support early stage, cutting-edge research
5/30/2019
By Sarah Small
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A gift from Penn State alumnus Roger Liang and Annie Kuo, his spouse, will establish the first named professorship within Penn State’s School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS).
“This professorship will enable faculty to perform cutting-edge research that is in its early stages by supporting graduate students and the purchase of equipment and materials,” said Thomas La Porta, director of the School of EECS. He noted that these types of projects often lead to breakthroughs and much larger projects.
While there are other named professorships housed in the College of Engineering, this professorship, named after the donors, will be the first to remain exclusively within the School of EECS. A professorship designated specifically for electrical engineering and computer science faculty will ensure continued excellence in research as well as the retention of renowned engineers, according to La Porta.
To address the urgent need for faculty support and have an immediate impact, Liang and Kuo have chosen to fund the professorship annually over the next five years, which will make resources available right away for the School of EECS and the Liang Professorship.
With the professorship, faculty in the School of EECS will more easily be able to take the necessary steps for professional success, something to which Liang himself is no stranger.
After graduating from Penn State with a master’s degree in electrical engineering in 1988, Liang and Kuo moved to San Jose, California, where Liang accepted a job as a software engineer for Cadence Design Systems, and Kuo for Greatlink, a small company for custom cable assemblies and wire harnesses. Six years later, Liang joined Kuo at Greatlink, marking the start of their journey together in the cable manufacturing world.
After their time at Greatlink, Kuo and Liang founded Bizlink Holding Inc., an interconnected solutions provider, in 1996. Since then, the company has grown to 9,200 employees and fosters a global network of facilities across Europe, North America and Asia. As of 2011, it has been a publicly traded company on the Taiwanese Stock Exchange (TWSE 3665). In 2018, BizLink achieved $708 million in revenue and continues to expand rapidly.
The accomplishments of Liang and Kuo have been recognized through awards presented to their company, including a 2019 Best Corporate Responsibility Award by GE and a 2018 Strategic Supplier Award from Abbott Laboratories. Liang was also presented with the Outstanding Engineering Alumni award by the Penn State College of Engineering in 2015, which is the college’s top alumni award.
This gift will advance “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” a focused campaign that seeks to elevate Penn State’s position as a leading public university in a world defined by rapid change and global connections. With the support of alumni and friends, “A Greater Penn State” seeks to fulfill the three key imperatives of a 21st-century public university: keeping the doors to higher education open to hardworking students regardless of financial well-being; creating transformative experiences that go beyond the classroom; and impacting the world by fueling discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. To learn more about “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” visit greaterpennstate.psu.edu.
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