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HONOLULU – Annie and UH alumnus Fred Chan have pledged $250,000 to assist fulltime undergraduate students transferring from any University of Hawai‘i Community College into the College of Engineering at UH Mānoa. Fred earned his BS in Electrical Engineering from the College of Engineering, and his MS in Information and Computer Sciences from the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and attributes the education he received at UH for much of his success.

Fred Chan have pledged $250,000 to assist fulltime undergraduate students transferring from any University of Hawai‘i Community College
College of Engineering students work on electronics for a small satellite.

“This incredibly generous gift from Fred Chan is aimed at a very important component of the College’s efforts over the last 8 years – assisting students transferring from UH Community Colleges into the College of Engineering. The College has developed very good relations with the community colleges and this gift will provide added incentives for community college students to consider a move to the college to pursue a career in engineering,” said College of Engineering Dean Peter Crouch.

This new gift builds on the Chans’ philanthropic legacy at the College. In 2001 the Chans created The Fred and Annie Chan Endowed Scholarship Fund for Electrical Engineering to support students with an interest in pursuing careers in electrical engineering.

Fred Chan has enjoyed a successful career founded on innovation. In 1984 Fred Chan and Forrest Mozer founded ESS Technology Incorporated, a private manufacturer of computer multimedia products based in Fremont, California.  Today the company holds a leading market share position in the digital video and audio market.

“In 1999 Fred Chan received the UHAA Distinguished Alumni Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the community and his leadership in the engineering sector. Today, we recognize and thank him for his generosity and foresight in nurturing the success of future engineers through this important transfer scholarship, which will make it possible for students to continue their education without the burden of debt,” said Donna Vuchinich, president and CEO, University of Hawai‘i Foundation.

Chan Scholarship for Transfer Students criteria:

  • Recipient must be a Hawai‘i resident.
  • Recipient must be the graduate of a Hawai‘i high school.
  • Recipient demonstrate academic merit with a minimum GPA of 3 .4.
  • Recipient must demonstrate some degree of financial need, not necessarily determined by federal guidelines.
  • Recipient must express an interest in pursuing a career in the field of engineering.
  • Recipient must submit an application essay no less than 500 words expressing: 1) their motivation for pursuing a career in engineering; and 2) how this scholarship award will help them to achieve their academic and career goals.

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The University of Hawaiʻi Foundation, a nonprofit organization, raises private funds to support the University of Hawaiʻi System. The mission of the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation is to unite donors' passions with the University of Hawaiʻi’s aspirations by raising philanthropic support and managing private investments to benefit UH, the people of Hawaiʻi and our future generations www.uhfoundation.org.