Taipei American School Alumni News Magazine | 2018

ALUMNI NEWS

University Matriculation by Country 2017

HEAD OF SCHOOL

Letter to Alumni

Dear Alumni,

Thank you for your ongoing contributions to Taipei American School in all of the myriad ways that you give. Your time, expertise, and resources provide invaluable tools to usher TAS into the future while honoring the past. We are especially grateful to the many of you who have supported the school through a gift to the annual giving program, where your generosity builds on a foundation of excellence for students to access extraordinary faculty, programs, and facilities.

Gifts to the school make a lasting impact in a number of ways. Currently, contributions to Building Excellence support construction of the Tech Cube, a five-story facility dedicated to STEAM education with a focus on design, technology, and robotics, scheduled for completion in early 2019. Gifts to Program Excellence are reflected in the achievements of our students, the development of new programs, and the expansion of unique learning opportunities schoolwide. Contributions to Professional Excellence support TAS’s dedication to recruiting, developing, and retaining engaged and innovative subject matter experts who have a direct impact on exceptional student learning. Our debate, robotics, dance, scientific research, film studies, and journalism programs would not be close to the caliber they are without your support.

Gifts to Endowment assure long-term financial stability for the school while ensuring that future generations of TAS students enjoy excellence in education well into the future. The final gift designation, the Hope N. F. Phillips Scholarship Fund, provides partial scholarships to families experiencing financial difficulties and allows students who would otherwise have to leave the school because of financial hardship to continue their education at TAS.

All gifts enable TAS students of tomorrow to become leaders in their communities, analytical and creative thinkers, ethical citizens with a global perspective, and life-long learners equipped with the skills to succeed in a rapidly-changing world.

Whether you share your enthusiasm by sending us great students, attending events, helping with internships, or supporting our people, programs, and place initiatives, we are all most grateful.

Faithfully,

Dr. Sharon D. Hennessy Head of School

from the Advancement Office

Dear Alumni,

As my fourth year at TAS comes to a close, I reflect on the continued engagement of the alumni community and how those unique shared experiences provide a binding kinship throughout your lives. Our global alumni community, many of whom are now second-generation TAS families, remain engaged and devoted to sharing their many talents with our students. We truly value your support, both here in Taiwan and from afar.

I want to take this opportunity to wish Helen Chen ’94, our dedicated Alumni and Community Outreach Officer, all the best as she departs TAS for her next adventure. Since October of 2007, Helen has contributed to the Admissions and Advancement Offices and served as a wealth of historical knowledge about the school. Her enthusiasm for TAS and vast outreach efforts to the alumni community will be greatly missed.

Please join me in welcoming Ms. Connie Ma to the role of Alumni and Community Outreach Officer. Connie earned her bachelor’s in sociology from the University of Chicago, and her master’s in public policy from Duke University. Her experience in education and development started with the University of Chicago Alumni Association, where she helped to build the Public Interest Program, placing young alumni in non-profit fellowships. She continued her work in development and external relations at the Chinese American Service League, fundraising to support Chinese immigrants in the Chicago area. Connie is passionate about the power of alumni networks, and looks forward to engaging with the TAS alumni community.

I hope to see you on campus soon to marvel at the soon-tobe-completed Tech Cube, enjoy athletics or performing arts events, attend a reunion, or to take a nostalgic stroll down memory lane. TAS remains your home long after graduation and we look forward to welcoming you back.

Warm regards,

Kathy Limmer Assistant Head of School for Advancement

Ms. Helen Chen

Ms. Connie Ma

TAS NE wS

to learn from international and local experts in a series of presentations and workshops designed to make attendees reflect, learn, laugh, and recognize the coexistence of academic excellence and wellness.

TAS inaugural wellness Convention

At TAS, we define wellness as “a state of optimal well-being that is oriented toward maximizing an individual’s potential.” We understand that in order to flourish, we must practice habits that foster healthy minds and bodies in addition to working toward the achievement of our other goals. As part of Strategic Area 3: Student Experience in the TAS 2016-2021 Strategic Plan, the inaugural TAS Wellness Convention promoted overall wellness in the student body and the broader TAS community with the theme “Be Well, Do Well.” At the Wellness Convention, parents, faculty and staff, and upper and middle school students took advantage of the opportunity

mawi Asgedom returns to TAS

As an Ethiopian refugee, Mawi Asgedom arrived in the U.S. facing poverty, language barriers, and cultural differences. Instead of giving up, he found strength in his struggles and successfully graduated from Harvard University with a scholarship, delivering the commencement speech to 30,000 Harvard graduates. In 2001, he chronicled his family’s story in Of Beetles and Angels, his best-selling autobiography.

Mawi first visited TAS in October of 2011 and returned this September to speak with middle and upper school students, parents, and faculty. His visit is an important part of our character education program and the overall wellness initiative at TAS. In anticipation of his visit, TAS upper school teachers

The Wellness Convention featured the following keynote speakers: Dr. Laurence Steinberg, an internationally renowned expert on psychological development during adolescence; Dr. Kristen Lee Costa, an award-winning behavioral sciences professor and clinician; Dr. Yu-Che Tsai, a sleep and positive psychology expert who serves as Assistant Professor of Psychology and Supervisor of Curriculum Design for the Positive Psychology Center at Kaohsiung Medical University; Mr. Vince Papale, best known for joining the Philadelphia Eagles at age 30 without college football experience and serving as the inspiration for the 2006 Disney hit movie Invincible; and Dr. Craig Hassed, a mindfulness program expert and Associate Professor and Senior Lecturer at the Department of General Practice at Monash University in Australia.

The Wellness Roundtable featuring Ms. Tara Conrad, a Certified Clinical Nutritionist, and keynote speakers Dr. Costa, Dr. Hassed, and Dr. Steinberg was a highlight of the event. All four participants answered a series of questions about incorporating wellness into the lives of children. A compelling question concerned the way to balance the expectation of high academic achievement with overall wellness to which Ms. Conrad commented, “There is pressure to be perfect, but what matters is that children grow up to be healthy, kind, helpful human beings.” Dr. Steinberg also made a powerful statement, “Academic excellence and psychological wellbeing are complementary, not competing. Strengthening one amplifies the other.” Overall, Wellness Convention attendees felt the event was enlightening and emphasized the myriad ways TAS embraces the coexistence of academic excellence and wellness.

and students in Grades 8-12 read Of Beetles and Angels. Middle school teachers and students read The Code: The 5 Secrets of Teen Success in which Mawi shares his experiences, insights, and five proven secrets to help teens succeed in high school and beyond.

Mawi encouraged TAS students to focus internal energies on things they can control and tune out external focuses that leave them in a poor state of mind to harness their full potential. He also discussed Growth Mindset and told students to practice things they are not good at, not just those that come easily to them, so they can stretch beyond their comfort zone.

Mawi has seen an organized, committed, and energetic focus on character and wellness at TAS since his

last visit six years ago and believes the school is using “powerful leverage to provide a world-class holistic education consistent with unlocking student potential.”

TAS Joanna Nichols Visiting Scholar Dr. Jacob Soll

Dr. Jacob Soll, this year’s Joanna Nichols Visiting Scholar, left a lasting impact on the TAS community. During his time on campus, Dr. Soll taught more than 30 classes, spoke at upper school assembles, and gave two parent presentations.

Dr. Soll, Professor of History and Accounting at the University of Southern California, received a B.A. from the University of Iowa, a Ph.D. from Magdalene College, Cambridge University, and a D.E.A. from the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris, France. He has authored three books: Publishing “The Prince” (2005), The Information Master (2009), and The Reckoning (2014), which remains on the Taiwan bestseller list. He has also received numerous awards, including the 2005 Jacques Barzun Prize in Cultural History, a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2009, and, in 2011, the prestigious MacArthur “Genius” Grant. In addition to writing two new books, Dr. Soll works on public financial reform in Greece, Portugal, and the Eurozone where he has personally advised the prime minister of Greece and members of the finance ministry, as well as executives of the European Commission.

While at TAS, Dr. Soll taught European History, World History, Principles of Business, Economics, U.S. History, Philosophy, International Relations,

TAS Team wins High School Grand prize at iGEm Championship

This year’s TAS iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) team won the High School Grand Prize at the 2017 iGEM Championship in Boston! Their project, NANOTRAP, focuses on developing an effective mechanism for removing nanoparticles from wastewater before they enter rivers and oceans. 12 TAS students traveled to this impressive event where 265 college teams and 44 high school teams from all over the world presented cuttingedge scientific research projects; 4500 people were in attendance! In addition to the Grand Prize, the TAS iGEM team also won Best Wiki and a Gold Medal for the completeness of their project. They also received nominations for the following awards: Best Integrated

and a new Historical Archival Research course at the Imperial Archives at Academia Sinica. Fifteen students in Grades 9-11 traveled with Dr. Soll to Academia Sinica to view historical documents; this special excursion provided a rare opportunity that opened the door for TAS students to conduct further research among over 300,000 written treasures from China.

Dr. Soll described TAS students as “fantastic” and the culture at school as “incredibly dynamic.” He encouraged all students to pursue their passions and told them, “The thing you love to do will probably be what you are best at.

Your time on earth is very, very short, and you need to enjoy what you’re doing.” He shared additional words of wisdom, “When in doubt, read a great book that challenges you.”

Dr. Soll’s stay at TAS represents the seventh installment of the Joanna Nichols Visiting Scholar program, which is the result of the continuing, extraordinary generosity and vision of former TAS parent Mr. Kenny Cheng. The program brings relevant, distinguished, and stimulating figures such as Dr. Soll to TAS each year to share singular insights and experiences with students.

Human Practices, Best Poster, Best Presentation, and Best DNA Parts Collection.

The TAS iGEM team successfully created a mechanism to trap nanoparticles in simulated wastewater treatment plant conditions. Students built a prototype and used computer modeling to simulate water cycling and timing. They synthesized new DNA and put it into bacteria; the bacteria then made either a membrane protein or a biofilm to trap nanoparticles. All of the research and work was completed in the Sandy R. Puckett Memorial Research Lab on campus. The iGEM team worked with students in the Nanotechnology Research class and used the Scanning Electron Microscopy to observe nanoparticles. They also collaborated with the Computer Science and Robotics Department to print 3D

biocarriers to use for the application of biofilm in wastewater treatment plants. Read more about their project here: http://2017.igem.org/Team:TAS_Taipei.

At the Championship event last year, the TAS iGEM team won a gold medal for the completeness of their project (aimed at treating cataracts) as well as awards in the following categories: Best Education and Public Engagement, Best Mathematical Model, and Best DNA Parts Collection. In 2015, the TAS iGEM team won the High School Grand Prize for their project on preventing tissue damage from chronic inflammation.

interscholastic Association of Southeast Asia Schools (iASAS) music at TAS

TAS hosted IASAS Music in early March. Our talented upper school musicians, as well as 130 other student musicians from the visiting schools, performed solo and ensemble pieces for adjudication by accomplished teacher musicians from the Taipei community and abroad. The finest soloists and ensembles performed in a special Showcase Recital Concert. Additionally, all participants rehearsed and performed together in culminating Festival Band, Choir, and Orchestra concerts.

Mr. Richard Gill, former Artistic Director of the Victorian Opera and Musical Director of the Sydney Chamber Choir, returned to TAS for the fifth time and conducted the Festival Choir. TAS also welcomed Dr. Andrew Boysen Jr., Professor of Music at the University of New Hampshire, and Dr. Tiffany Chang, TAS alumna and Interim Director of Orchestral Studies and Assistant Professor of Music at Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music. Dr. Boysen conducted the Festival Band and Dr. Chang conducted the Festival Orchestra.

New Alumni working at TAS

Welcome back, Betty Sun ’72! She joined the lower school faculty this year as a support specialist. Betty is among 20 alumni working at the school.

New Alumni Families at TAS

More and more alumni are considering TAS for their own children’s education. This year, we welcomed 206 students from alumni families, a testament to the exceptional education TAS provides.

2017 Annual Clash of Classes Basketball Games

The annual tournament once again offered an opportunity for 7 alumni teams and the boys varsity basketball team to battle for the coveted championship trophy. For the first time in six years, the varsity team won! The girls varsity and middle school teams also had a chance to play with returning alumnae.

College Alumni Homecoming reunion

This annual event continues to attract a large crowd of alumni back in Taiwan during winter break. They shared insights and tips with parents and current seniors, and enjoyed a lunch of the cafeteria-favorite Chinese Chicken Leg.

Alumni Volleyball Games

Two days after school started, the boys and girls varsity teams played against a team of alumni. Paul Hsu ’94 and Joey Chen ’98, former IASAS captains, coached the boys varsity team.

Elizabeth Wang ‘91 Gayle Tsien ‘87 Joseph Hwang ‘87 Timothy Chang ‘80 Paul Hsu ‘94

2017 Alumni Thanksgiving Dinner

The best way to celebrate Thanksgiving for alumni in Taipei is the annual dinner at TAS. Special thanks to the following alumni and local business owners who contributed to this year’s event.

Eric Lo ’06 (Plantation Prestige): Hawaiian Coffee

Duke Wu ’98 and Han Lin’97 (Taihu Taiwan): Craft Beer

Gary Ma ’05: Wines

Jim Li ’00 (Purebread Co.): Baguettes

Allen Chang ’94

On December 1-2, TAS hosted the annual Formosa VEX Robotics Competition. 36 teams from 8 countries competed to qualify for the VEX World Championship in April. Allen Chang ’94 volunteered again as a referee at this year’s robotics competition.

TAS robotics team 4253J was ranked #1 after the qualification matches and went into the finals undefeated, ultimately winning the prestigious Excellence Award as the best overall team at the competition and qualifying for the World Championship. The team also won the Robot Skills Award with an impressive score of 110 points, placing them in the top 2.5% in the World Skill Rankings (out of almost 2,500 teams). Additionally, they won the Think Award for their robot’s multiple autonomous modes applicable to different game scenarios. TAS middle school robotics team 4813A also qualified for the World Championship as the best middle school team at the compe-

Gary Sherwood ’68

He reflected on the life-changing experience of growing up in Taiwan and attending TAS, which cultivated his passion for the Chinese culture and language. Watch his interview on the TAS Vimeo page at https://vimeo.com/taipeiamericanschool.

Tom Tsai ’05

tition and TAS upper school team 4253B won the Build Award. Alumni are welcome to participate in this annual event in various capacities and to enjoy the exciting robotics matches right here at TAS. The Upper School also has a FIRST robotics team, which recently won both the Australia and Hawaii Regional Competitions, and qualified for the World Championship event in Detroit. The TAS team won all but one match in Australia and received the Quality Award for their robot’s build and design. They were also the only team to achieve a 100% success rate for the autonomous portion of the matches. In Hawaii, the team also won all but one match and received the Regional Chairman’s Award, which is considered the most prestigious award given at a FIRST robotics event. It is given to one team at each regional competition for their work in STEM education outreach and impact on the community.

Visit our website to follow all of the TAS robotics teams as they compete at World Championships!

A dancer with the renowned Pennington Dance Group, Tom returned to campus to work with students that culminated in a performance of incredible repertoire for the community.

NOVA Alumni mentors

Bruce Bateman ’77, Jim Boyle ’76, Jay Cheng ’97, and Royal Chao ’99 attended the annual TAS NOVA weekend, a startup creation event that provides upper school students with an opportunity to design and launch their very own business or service projects. Alumni at the networking session listened to students’ ideas and provided insights and feedback for the teams to consider.

ALum N i S pEAk E rS

michelle Bossard ’84 — international relations Class

Michelle visited Taiwan in September with her TAS friends who were members of the Science Club. She had an opportunity to meet with upper school students learning about complex world issues. She arranged a Skype call with one of her mentees living in Iraq. TAS students asked many questions about the accuracy of news reports and what he did for fun

Bruce Bateman ’77 and Vera wu ’87 — Business Club

Bruce Bateman ’77 and Vera Wu ’87 spoke at two events organized by the Upper School Business Club. Bruce shared valuable insights on the future of Artificial Intelligence. Vera discussed her professional experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries with a group of Business Club members and students from scientific research classes. Her engaging talk focused on the differences between biologics and pharmaceuticals, and job opportunities throughout the biopharma value chain.

kevin Lee ’09 and michael wong ’00

— Film production

Class

Kevin Lee ’09 and Michael Wong ’00 won first place for Best Film, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay at the 2017 48-hour Film Project in Taipei. They returned to TAS to talk to students in the Film Production class about their experience making films.

Joseph Hei ’93 — Honors Design Class

An entrepreneur, designer, and engineer who is passionate about building consumer brands, Joe shared his experience starting his own company. He described how he used the design process to create solutions to problems. This is very relevant to TAS students in the Honors Design course who produce designs for potential startups; they respond to an idea and manufacture prototypes or architecture models, learning about design management and strategy as well as entrepreneurship.

Vivian Chiang ’93 — TEDxTAS

Vivian Chiang ’93 was the first alumna to speak at TEDxTAS, an independently organized event by upper school students to allow speakers to share ideas and knowledge with the school community. Vivian encouraged students to embrace discomfort by sharing personal stories that resulted in decisions that disrupted her life. She offered three suggestions for creating discomfort in building resilience and courage: Learn hard things, do something that scares you, and make hard choices.

FEATurE STOri ES

my major. I tried to offer advice from a broader perspective so Albert might understand how different people work together in a company and how different industries interact with each other. Each specific area requires a set of skills that all fit together in a big complicated system.”

Alumni mentors

The Upper School Business Club matched eight students to alumni mentors working in fields of interest to the members. The Club’s faculty sponsor, Michelle Bruce, explained this program, “The experience allowed students to interact with their mentors in a professional manner. The mentors imparted industry-specific information and shared their personal experiences with the students. This level of insight is beyond the scope of the curriculum and offers an insider’s perspective for a student to gain a deeper understanding of what they hoped to pursue.”

The feedback from students was overwhelmingly positive. They valued the chance to ask questions specific to their interests. Albert Chen’17 developed a very close relationship with his alumni mentor David Tang ’94 and even visited David’s factory. He reflected, “I started the Club with Thomas Fujimoto ’17 because I wanted to expand my field of interest beyond the math and sciences. My mentor was a great listener. Since I was interested in engineering, I talked to people with a background in mechanical engineering and those in electrical engineering.”

For David, the reason he agreed to be an alumni mentor was the opportunity to help a future generation make better decisions. He shared, “I wished we had the chance to talk to older alumni when we were in high school. I had no idea what engineering was all about although I had chosen it as

Students present on Social responsibility at les enfants

Upper school students Emily W. ’18, Nicole H. ’18, Alex H. ’18, and Janice Y. ’18 learned about social entrepreneurship and how businesses can create social value in addition to earning a profit in the Honors Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation course. These students had the opportunity to put their learning into action when they were invited by Brenda Lin ’94, Assistant VP for Corporate Social Responsibility, to present at a workshop on socially responsible business practices sponsored by les enphants and B Lab Taiwan. Emily reflected, “I was inspired by the number of companies who want to make a difference in the world, especially one run by TAS alumni.”

Two new graduates also had the opportunity to work as interns at WeMo Scooter, founded by five TAS alumni. WeMo allows Taipei customers to rent from 1000 economic and environmentally-friendly electric scooters managed by a smart phone app. Alvin Lu’17 and Harris Chen’17 joined the engineering team and developed a program for charging stations to monitor and display the charging of scooter batteries. After his five-week internship, Alvin shared, “Working on these projects was immensely rewarding because I had the chance to apply skills I learned in school, including those from robotics class and AP computer science, which I took three years ago! I was also given more independence. It was interesting to see how ideas were turned into physical products that you can see (and ride) on the streets!”

Jay Cheng ’97 praised the two interns, “TAS students are great. They are hardworking, intelligent, and polite. However, they lack real world experience and that is what they can gain from a summer internship experience. They need to understand the dynamics of a work place because they haven’t been treated as equal adults in a work setting while at school.” Alumni mentors are in a unique position to connect with students and offer insights because of a shared TAS experience.

Tiffany Chang ’04: iASAS Festival Orchestra Conductor

TAS welcomed back Tiffany Chang ‘04, a former IASAS delegate, as this year’s IASAS Festival Orchestra Conductor for the 2018 IASAS Music and Art Cultural Convention. During her four years in the Upper School, Tiffany studied cello and was very involved with the music program. She performed,

composed, conducted, collaborated, and took AP and IB music courses.

As Tiffany continued to explore various musical interests at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, she realized conducting allowed her to engage in multiple interests, including cello performance, music education, composition, and music theory. She commented, “Being a conductor is being a leader. Being an effective and inspiring leader is the most challenging ultimate goal, as in any field. In a performance, the conductor does not make any sounds, but the conductor guides the musicians to make the music meaningful for the players as well as for the audience.”

A former IASAS participant inspired by the opportunities to travel to various countries and meet musicians from different schools, Tiffany provided an equally engaging and unique experience for this year’s participants following in her footsteps, not only in making music but in making connections. Tiffany is currently the Interim Director of Orchestra Studies at Baldwin Wallace Conservatory and Assistant Professor at the Berklee College of Music.

Breaking a Track record 36 years Later

In 2014, a Grade 9 student stood in front of the TAS Hall of Fame and Records display and noticed the 110-meter men’s hurdles record set in 1982. The photo of the athlete stood out because it was the only one in black and white, a sign that the record had not been broken in a few decades. Jeffrey Yu ‘17 looked at the record: 16.01 seconds. His fastest speed was not even close. Inspired by this legend who remained on the wall for so many years, Jeffrey wanted his photo to be the one to replace it, but thought that breaking this record was an impossible dream.

Jeffrey started running with the track and field team and had an opportunity to beat the record during his Grade 11 year, but his hip flexors popped before the IASAS competition. He continued training in his senior year and led a hurdle squad during the off-season. In 2017, he set the new school record at 15.63 seconds! Jeffrey felt overjoyed as the black and white photo was replaced with his full colored head shot, showing him grinning with pride.

A few months after he graduated from TAS, he received an email message from the Alumni Office introducing him to the legend whose record he had broken. Jimmy Tsung ‘84’s sister, Elena Tsung ‘84, is a parent with a daughter enrolled at the school. She thought her brother might like to know the young alumnus who broke his school record. Jeffrey was back in Taipei during Thanksgiving break from Indiana University and Jimmy flew from Shanghai to Taipei for business, so the two alumni finally had a chance to meet in person.

For Jeffrey, meeting the legend who motivated him every time he passed by the wall was another dream come true. He showed Jimmy the 20-second video clip from the run that set the new school record. Jimmy had not realized his record remained on the wall for 36 years. When he set that record in 1982, he was a Grade 10 student. The track facilities were not to the same standard as today, but he was fast and he even competed in several Taipei City events. Amused that his black and white photo would inspire a student three decades later, he posed with a big smile next to Jeffrey in front of the new Hall of Fame Track and Field Records display.

TAS Jackets

Liz Tenny ‘99 and her family lived in Taiwan from 1989 until 1999. Since TAS became a member school of IASAS, Liz was the first graduate to receive a total of 12 varsity letters. She played varsity soccer, basketball, and softball each year for all four years of high school. Liz recently donated her jacket for display in the Upper School Information Commons. She reflected on her participation in the TAS athletic program during an interview with the Alumni Office.

“The daily practices with my teammates were engaging and fun and the international competitions really shaped who I am today. I remember all the travels to IASAS and Hong Kong schools for our tournaments. Our host families would house us for a few days. We not only played our hearts out at these competitions, but we learned to respect and understand the cultures of our host families.

My participation in the sports program was much more than just playing soccer, basketball, and softball. I also participated in the middle school drama program and the IASAS Cultural Conventions. I continue to appreciate and engage with the various cultures represented in my current hometown in the San Francisco Bay Area.”

Robin Fontaine ‘77 attended TAS from 1973-1975 and received a jacket as a Christmas gift her first year in Taiwan. Her name was embroidered on the front. She loved the colorful stitching of Taiwan on the back and the tiger representing TAS on the sleeve.

She commented, “My TAS education really helped prepare me for success in college. The cutting-edge modular/granular approach to classes was really engaging and effective. For example, we didn’t just take ‘English’ because we could select classes such as ‘Adventure Stories,’ ‘Utopian and AntiUtopian Literature,’ or ‘The Underdog in American Literature.’”

In 1975, her father was transferred back to an air force base in Washington State. She added, “I was especially proud to wear the jacket after moving back to the States! Most of my new classmates didn’t know anything about Taiwan, so wearing it made me feel special and it was a great icebreaker.” Her jacket is now on display in the Upper School Information Commons.

In March of 2016, Robin returned to Taiwan for the first time. She said, “When the U.S. ended diplomatic relations with the Republic of China in 1979, I vowed I would return to Taipei one day. The 2016 reunion trip helped me realize that goal. Visiting our old neighborhood in Wellington Heights, seeing the impressive new TAS campus, and experiencing firsthand how vibrant and sophisticated Taipei is today made me incredibly proud to say ‘I used to live there!’”

We welcome alumni contributions to the TAS archives where meaningful documents and items highlight the history of the school.

more photos from reunion events hosted at TAS and around the world can be viewed online in the media Gallery in the Alumni section of the TAS website at www.tas.edu.tw.

2018 All Classes worldwide reunion in Taipei – march 2018

For the second time, Lloyd Coleman ’73 organized a very successful “Back to Taiwan Reunion” for more than 60 alumni, family, and friends. Alumni from the Classes of 1966 to 2008 arrived from near and far to share stories and memories from different time periods of the school’s history. This highly anticipated trip of a lifetime included accommodation at the iconic Grand Hotel, meals at Din Tai Fung, outings to night markets, and much more. Activities during the week brought alumni to places old and new, including the National Palace Museum, Hsi Men Ding, Taipei 101, Wellington Heights, the Grass Mountain Teen Club, and the former Shilin campus to see the Senior Island Pagoda. The highlight of the trip was the TAS Legacy Day on campus. Alumni had the opportunity to attend a special presentation, a unique seminar discussion with long-time teacher Mr. Richard Arnold, school tours with current students, a music performance, and shopping at the Tiger Store. Everyone was impressed by the facilities and the programs offered today. Join the Facebook Group “2018 TAS Worldwide Reunion2” to see pictures and short videos from the trip, and contact Lloyd if you are interested in joining a future reunion in Taiwan.

Los Angeles Lunch – January 2018

Thank you to Rose Chan Loui ’78 for generously hosting this event at her beautiful home. Alumni from the Classes of 1963 to 2009 enjoyed spending time together.

Dinner for uSC Students – January 2018

More than 30 alumni attending the University of Southern California enjoyed a wonderful dinner sharing their college experiences. Thank you to Sara Chen ’14 and Annie Mao ’14 for their assistance planning this event and to Brandon Le ’15 for taking photos.

Class of 1992 25-year reunion – December 2017

Organized by Betty Chang and Judy Gee with several volunteers, more than 40 alumni attended the celebrations in Taipei with a casual lunch at TAS and a festive dinner arranged by David Ko ’92 at his family’s restaurant Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse.

Class of 1987 30year reunion in Taipei – February 2018

This Class invited all 80s alumni to join their reunion. Thank you to Vera Wu for organizing the event!

Class of 2007 10-year reunion – December 2017

A decade flew by very quickly for this Class that got together to celebrate their first 10 years after graduation. For all of them, high school memories are still fresh!

Science Club reunion – September 2017

Vivienne Uytana ‘83, John Chan ‘83, Beci Tossey ‘83, Michelle Bossard ‘84, and Steven Bossard ‘97 returned to Taipei last fall as part of a special Science Club reunion trip. Dr. Carla Bossard, former club sponsor, and her husband Dr. Earl Bossard, accompanied them on their trip down memory lane. They enjoyed their week together and the time they spent with Joy Tsien ‘83 and Rose Chan Loui ‘78. Faculty members Mr. Richard Arnold and Ms. Kathy Cutler, and former faculty member Mr. John Dankowski reconnected with the group during a special nostalgic lunch at the school cafeteria.

Taipei Happy Hour – September 2017

Hosted at one of the new craft beer bars in Taipei, Taihu Brewing’s new taproom in downtown Taipei offered a wide variety of locally brewed craft beers. Co-founders Duke Wu ’98 and Han Lin ’97 generously sponsored prizes.

reunion in New Orleans – October 2017

More than 50 alumni gathered in the city of jazz to reminiscence

‘74 and her team for organizing this reunion.

and rekindle TAS friendships. Thank you to Toni Sapiro Boeh

The Science Club in the 1983 yearbook

washington, D.C. Lunch – October 2017

Thank you to Clifton Yin ’03 who once again organized a lunch event in the area. Alumni appreciated the opportunity to reconnect and meet others from different Classes.

Shanghai Christmas Dinner – December 2017

Thank you to Irene Chang ’95 for organizing this memorable event at Bonnie Chen ’03’s restaurant Pistacchio.

Alumni Dinner with Dr. Hennessy in Boston – September 2017

The Head of School celebrated the TAS spirit at a special event hosted for college alumni attending schools in the Boston area.

Boston reunion – September 2017

Organized by Andy Wang ’14, a group of young alumni from various schools got together at the beginning of the school year to welcome those who are new college students in the area.

upCOmiNG rEuNiONS

August 2-5, 2018: TAS 80s Alumni Reunion in Denver December 28, 2018: Class of 2008 10-year Reunion (see below) December 2018: Class of 1998 20-year Reunion (date pending) December 21, 2018: Class of 1993 25-year Reunion in Taipei

More

Send your updates to TAS! we love hearing news about life-changing moments, such as marriages, new jobs, awards, and when you get together with TAS friends. we are always delighted to receive photos of these gatherings. Send submissions to alumni@tas.tw.

Taipei Alumni Networking Event – April 2018

than 30 alumni gathered for dinner at Opaka, founded by Hide Kurokawa ‘07.

CLASS NOTES

1960

In April of 2017, Tim Timmons and Butch Hilsabeck met for lunch at the famous Bluebonnet Café in Marble Falls, Texas with their wives Nancy and Suzanne. Jon “Butch” Hilsabeck and Hershel “Tim” Timmons attended TAS in 1957 and 1958 (Class of 1960). Brian Hanson of Austin, Texas missed the get-together as he was attending an Explorer’s Club meeting. Butch, Tim, and Brian have stayed in touch and kept up their friendships for over 60 years.

1964

TAS experience

during the two years when her father established the Embassy of Peru in Taiwan. As she browsed through the yearbook pages, she shared memories of teachers, singing in talent shows, and playing volleyball and tennis. She is the President of Instituto Mundo Libre in Peru, an organization dedicated to the prevention, rehabilitation, and the integral development of children at high risk. The organization has won recognition by the United Nations and several countries around the world.

1968

1969

1970

Lena Mao Hsu: I would like to inspire fellow alumni with my example of healthy living and sensible eating habits. After TAS, I graduated from Woodbury University and married a physician. I have two children and two grandsons. In 2011, I became an avid gardener. After arthroscopic surgery on my knee in 2015, I produced a YouTube video to help others with similar challenges to recover faster. I also started swimming 45 minutes each day as therapy. Check out my YouTube channel (lenacdoll).

1972

Jessica Phelps West (at TAS 19691971): I recently joined the faculty at the Florida State University School of Theatre as the head of the graduate program in directing. Prior to that, I taught at universities in Georgia and North Carolina and have had a long and illustrious career in professional theatre as well. My love for theatre began at TAS under the tutelage of Ms. Jackson. I was also in Flower Drum Song and a few other shows. Ms. Jackson kept us busy onstage and backstage learning all the facets of theatre. I will never forget those early beginnings and how immersive her program was for all the students. It was indeed special. Go Tigers!

1973

1975

Marilu de Gonzales Posada (Marilu de Cossio at TAS 1961-1963) visited Taiwan in March upon the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She recalls her

fondly

Steven Chiu, Lily Chang, Vincente Tang, and Maria Chen enjoyed a meal in Tianmu

Uthai LimLawan returned to Taipei after almost 50 years of living in his hometown in Thailand.

Madeline Ma had an opportunity to see her TAS friends who are all from the same Class: Nora King, Rosita Yang, and Mary Chua.

April Ahuna Goetz visited Taiwan and spent time with Betty Sun. April recently relocated back to Washington State after a long career teaching in Germany.

Tom Hope got together with Scott Taylor ’75 after 40 years!

Anita Wong shared a photo on Facebook of a Thanksgiving Dinner celebration in San Francisco with alumni from the 70’s: Marta Hsu ’73, Nina Liang ’73, Rita Liang ’73, Anita Wong ’75, and David Ling ’74.

1978

1982

1987

photography class and the magical dark room. I also recall Mr. Cox in PreCalculus and Calculus, humming and singing to himself as he wrote out the math on the board. I have several friends from TAS who continue to be my best friends through the inevitable ups and downs, successes and failures of life. The TAS environment, education, and teachers allow students from around the globe to develop certain critical thinking skills so many of us carry with us wherever we go. We have an ability to see our home cultures from the outside. We are good at asking ourselves if/ when we’re wrong and challenging our assumptions.

I learned in the course of researching and writing the book that my family has a mainland/Taiwan history that rhymes with many others at TAS. Once you start asking questions about the past, the answers start to come. To be sure, many family members wanted to leave the past in the past, but gentle prodding yielded stories I’d never heard before. Don’t wait too long to start recording your family’s history.”

Contact Scott for special signed copies of his book at Stong@marketplace.org.

1988

Once

1989

Scott Tong recently published a book titled A Village with My Name: A Family History of China’s Opening to the World.

When Scott moved to Shanghai, he had the opportunity to reconnect with members of his extended family who had remained in China after his parents fled six decades prior. By uncovering the stories of his family’s history, Scott discovered a new way to understand the defining moments of modern China and its long, interrupted quest to go global. He focused on five members of his family who witnessed major events.

In an interview about his TAS experience, Scott shared, “I remember Mr. Butlitz’s

Royce Hong’s company, Xing Mobility, will release its supercar prototype, dubbed “Miss R,” with their in-house developed modular battery system, the key for the car’s performance. Xing’s new battery technology is being deployed globally in city buses, ridesharing scooters, and construction vehicles.

1991

1993

1994

Janet Chen was

Kyle Webster sold KyleBrush.com to Adobe, adding over 1,000 digital brushes to Adobe’s Creative Cloud tools. Kyle has created the world’s best-selling Photoshop brushes for professional illustrators, animators, and designers. Follow him at KyleTwebster.com.

Vincent Long posted a photo from a special Moon Festival Dinner in Los Angeles with alumni visiting from Shanghai, Hong Kong, Beijing, and Taipei.

Ralph Guzman celebrated Double Ten in Atlanta in October.

again, Jammie Liang hosted a group of her TAS friends in her home in San Francisco.

Several alumni living in Shanghai gathered for a mini-reunion.

Alumni celebrated the end of the year with a casual gathering in Taipei.

named one of seven YWCA Columbus 2018 Women of Achievement Winners.

Neelam Parmar published a book titled Digital Parenting available in print and also on the Kindle. Neelam has a wealth of experience in digital learning strategies for schools across the primary and senior age range. She is currently Director of E-Learning at Ashford School, United Learning and has recently completed her PhD.

1997

1996

David Huang released a new Virtual Reality (VR) game that was nominated for the HTC 2018 Viveport Developer Award. “Battle Sky VR” is a multiplayer game that allows a player to explore the world freely by flying spontaneously.

1998

1999

Cecilia Tsai has called Switzerland her home for the past 11 years. She left the private banking industry when she became a mom in 2013 and started her own baby carrier company with her husband. In 2 years, they raised more than US$250,000 from Kickstarter. They are very proud of their MiaMily HIPSTER PLUS 3D baby carrier which has won the Bizzie Baby 2014 Gold Award,

Mom’s Choice Gold Award 2016, and Academy Star Cribsie Award for New Product Arrival in 2016. When she is not managing her company, she is busy being a mom of 3 kids under 5 years old. She enjoyed a dim sum lunch in Hong Kong in July 2016 with Ying Chen and Cindy Ho.

2000

Jonathan Liao and Bruce Bateman ’77 founded FutureWard, one of the biggest co-working and maker spaces in Taipei. The venue offers scalable private and open-plan offices, dedicated event spaces, and business services. One of the branches even offers access to well-equipped 3D printers, machines for prototyping, metalworking, and woodworking, and ceramic tools.

2001

Shelley Lin released her popular portable baby monitor branded Totokan. It livestreams to any smart device and even measures breathing and heartbeat.

2003

Chuck Ma and Geo Lee have known each other since seventh grade at TAS. Check out their Facebook page named “Seventhgrade” to view entertaining videos.

Wayne Chan successfully finished the 2017 Eco-x Grindstone 100 Race. He wasn’t even walking with a limp the next day!

Flora Kao, Amy Yeh ’95, and Caroline Ma ’97 got together at Flora’s art exhibit in Los Angeles in October.

Jay Cheng spoke at FutureWard Central, founded by Jonathan Liao ’00, about WeMo Scooter, the new scooter-sharing start-up in Taipei jointly established by five alumni.

Freya Lim performed in a popular original musical in Taipei at the Sun YatSen Memorial Hall in January.

Grace Sun founded a new online store specializing in children’s clothing and accessories. Sweet Lil Monster sells unique, modest, and sweet clothing for children. https://www.facebook.com/ Sweetlilmonster/ 2004

Randy Lee and Christine Chyon ’08 took their wedding photos at TAS in December. Their favorite photo is this one in the gym, taken at 11:04 AM because that’s the date he asked Christine to be his girlfriend on November 4, 12 years ago.

2007

Alice Liao participated in the Belles of the Brawl V in Boston last October. She was literally fighting for a cure to raise funds for cancer at the charity boxing event. Read more about her story here: http://buff.ly/2whvzKe.

2006

Cat Yeh is the co-founder of Nomz (www.eatnomz.com), a food start-up company based in New York City. She shared: We provide wholesome Asian soups crafted specifically for busy individuals. Frozen for convenience, our soups are unique in the traditional Asian food space because we use only clean, often organic ingredients to create our simple, healthy, and traditional Asian noodle soups with zero additives. Delivered to door, our users simply need to heat and eat when hunger strikes.

Hide Kurokawa opened a new restaurant in Tienmu. Opaka is a farmto-table new American tapas-style restaurant focusing on flavors from around the world. With a restaurant and bar, customers enjoy a family-style tasting menu, Omakase menu, or smallbite “munchables.”

2008

2009

Julia Wang is currently an MD/ PHD medical scientist and a McNair Student Scholar in the Bellen Lab at Baylor College of Medicine. Last year, she wrote a breakthrough article on bioinformatics published in the

American Journal of Human Genetics She was also featured in an article by Baylor College of Medicine and on various news channels, and recognized by the National Institute of Health (NIH).

2011

Phillip Ball returned to TAS after leaving in 2004. He was delighted to spend time with his Grade 5 teacher Mr. Rick Rabon, currently an Associate Principal in the Lower School.

Max Cheng published an article in the British Journal of Cardiac Nursing’s December issue titled “Classical Music in Cardiac Prevention and Rehabilitation.” He concluded that classical music significantly increased an individual’s peak heart rate during a cardiac exercise session, thereby, increasing physical activity intensity.

2012

Fair.

2013

Eric Tsai, Lillian Lin, and Michael Chua got together last summer. It’s almost time for the 10-year reunion!

Lin King was featured in the Emerging Voices section of Slice Magazine at the Brooklyn Book

Caitlin Magee, former TAS Jazz Ensemble member, won Best Singer, Best Performance, and Most Popular

Singer at the National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) International Student Chinese Singing Competition last May! She also sang with the Jazz Ensemble on several occasions during the school year.

2014

2017

Former Faculty

TAS had a special influence on teachers that made us so close and so eager to stay in touch. TAS also had the most professional faculty with whom I worked in my entire career and a great student population. The non-teaching staff was terrific, too. We had relationships with the support staff who made our lives so much easier. It was a unique privilege to work at such a special school.

Dr. Louise Tolbert: We gathered on April 26, 2017 at the home of Kathy Keenan in Poinciana outside of Orlando, Florida, where Cherry (Hart) Brown also lives. Carol Chadwick came from Oregon, Glenn Wolfe from Wisconsin, Mary Yamazaki from Panama, and Fran Larson and I from other parts of Florida. We celebrated Ralph Whalen’s retirement.

A group of former teachers gets together twice a year in Oregon.

L to R: Carol Chadwick, Kay Haberlach, Henry Schwarz, Charlene Schneiter, Roger Cox, Sue Cox, Susan Rinker, Fred Schneiter, Jan Clark, Bill Funk

They celebrated Chinese New Year for the ninth year at the Jin Wah Restaurant. Thanks to Jan Clark for organizing the special gatherings!

Peter Dratz (Activity Director at the Shilin campus) returned to TAS in April of 2017 leading a delegation of MUN students from Hong Kong. He spent time with former faculty member John Dankowski and current TAS Food Services Director Shawn O’Neal.

Sunny Sheu graduated from the Juilliard School in May and signed a contract to perform at Taipei’s National Recital Hall in May of 2019.

April Chu led the Wellesley Track and Field team with her 1000m win at MIT’s Gordon Kelly Invitational in February!

rose Ching Tung ’58 passed away on May 23, 2017. She was born in Shanghai, China and moved to Taipei with her family as a young girl during the turmoil of 1949. She was the only one of her siblings to attend TAS and frequently recalled fond memories of walking to school through rice paddies and pineapple fields, and dancing at sock hops in the gym. She shared a special TAS connection with her granddaughter Alessandra Laurent ‘13 and was impressed by how well the school has flourished since her time. Rose studied cartography at Briarcliff College in upstate New York and eventually settled in Los Angeles, California where she applied her artistic talents to city planning. She traveled the world with her husband James Tung, painting and sketching everything she saw along the way.

Caroll Linn williams ’61, the first editor of TigerTales, passed away on January 27, 2018. She began the newsletter in the late 80’s and devoted twenty years to keeping TAS alumni from the 50’s and 60’s in touch with each other.

Eileen See roldaan ’76 passed away on August 25, 2017.

Nancy Kraft ’76: She was a gentle soul and full of grace. I will miss her and remember her always.

2017.

Annie Wu Su ’89: How does a brilliant mind stay put? No walls, no room, no rules, and no parameters could contain Bjorn’s brilliance. Since 9th grade his mind scaled the heights and peaks of math, physics, and knowledge. We reconnected a few years ago and shared our insights from life as well as our passion for cooking. He gave me a lot of new ideas on how to expand my culinary horizons. I didn’t notice that Bjorn was an introvert and deep thinker in high school; I only realized it as an adult. He cared deeply about things, and loved his friends and family dearly. Writing music and exploring the culinary arts were an outlet for his creativity. His hunger for life, for truth, and for pushing the limits kept him moving.

Simon Scott ’89: Bjorn was my best friend in Taiwan. We spent many weekends scouring computer stores for new games… I will always remember him for his kindness, friendship, and amazing intellect!

Dan Cooper ’89: Bjorn and I reconnected about five years ago when I was in Shanghai. We ended up trading some interesting things with each other: I wanted Bjorn to send me some Belgian comic books titled Dan Cooper and Bjorn wanted me to send him a bat skeleton in a display case. I will always remember my friendship with Bjorn. He will be missed.

Aileen Niu ’89 was finally granted rest from her struggle with cancer on March 30, 2017. Her family is very proud of her bravery and poise throughout the illness. Her love and humor, her smiles, and her grace will be forever in our hearts and minds.

Eric Johnson ’76 passed away on July 17, 2017 at home on the farm in Wisconsin that he loved so much.

kou Lung Jim Nance ’76 passed away on July 31, 2017.

Bjorn Bruinsma ’89 passed away on January 21,

Ame de Leon ’89 passed away on September 24, 2017.

Annie Wu Su ’89: Ame had thick curly hair, round eyes with curly lashes, and a winsome gaze. She wrote in-depth poetry, composed her own music, and enjoyed having fun. I loved her free spirit and kindness. She reminded me of the things I didn’t notice about my character or myself. Even in our 40’s, she walked with me through the mid-life transition and helped me find myself and keep my head up. She was a sincere friend.

k aty Hsieh ’95 passed away from an accidental fall at home in September 2017. She loved nature, water, sunsets, and karaoke.

Former Faculty

Bernice m . Hecht (TAS Business Department 1966-1971), known to many as Bea, died peacefully on February 22, 2018 at the age of 97. She met and married Air Force Captain E. Edward Hecht in 1950. As an Air Force wife, she traveled the world, but she remained a Kansas farm girl who always knew ‘there’s no place like home.’ The Hechts were stationed at numerous bases in the U.S. and overseas. Their last two posts before leaving the government service were Vietnam and Taiwan. She is survived by her son Gregory Hecht ’69, her daughters Cynthia Hecht ’71 and Marcia Lowry, and her grandchildren.

Larry Alan Ethier (TAS Upper School Associate Principal 1997-2000) passed away in April 2017. He married Deborah Charter in 1971 and they shared 46 wonderful years together. They have three children and seven grandchildren. Larry was a passionate, innovative, and influential teacher, volleyball coach, and school administrator. Through his work, he made a positive impact upon many people around the world. Larry was deeply respected and will be remembered as an empathetic, funloving, wise, and honest man who had a genuine interest in, and immediate effect upon, everyone he met.

Shelton Chow (Upper School English Teacher 1970-1978) passed away on March 29, 2018. While at TAS, he primarily taught English Literature and Composition in the Upper School, but also briefly taught Language Arts and History in the Middle School. After TAS, he taught at the American School in Isfahan and eventually retired from a Seattle public school. He always cherished his students and time in Taiwan.

Joyce Deanne Bush w halen (TAS Faculty 1989 - 2008) passed away on February 20, 2018 at her home in Kissimmee, Florida. Joyce and her husband Ralph taught at various schools around the world, including 24 years at TAS. Joyce, Ralph, and their two children Ryah ’01 and Jacob ’04, loved to travel and explore the world. Hosting many friends in their home for dinners and parties was an important part of their family life. Joyce most enjoyed being a mom and creating family traditions and memories. Many will remember her hearty laugh and her lifelong hobby of quilting.

Derryl Franz (Athletic Director 19841995), beloved basketball coach, passed away on January 18, 2018. Prior to joining TAS, he worked at the International School of Bangkok and was credited as one of the founding fathers of IASAS. In 1984, former TAS superintendent Guy Lott Jr. recruited both Derryl and his wife Merilyn to come to Taipei.

Derryl worked to strengthen the school’s athletics program and was instrumental in convincing the IASAS schools to include TAS. As a result, thousands of TAS students have had the opportunity to participate in IASAS events since then.

Jeff Li ’94: There is perhaps no other person from whom I learned more about decency and kindness than Derryl Franz, who was my coach and mentor from 1992-1994 when I played varsity basketball. In a sport obsessed with winning, he cared more about integrity and fundamentals. He always remembered every player’s name, even those who didn’t make the cut to be on the team. He knew that while we thought we were playing basketball, he was preparing us to become better versions of ourselves for our lives ahead.

Being mentored by Coach Franz and feeling that impact is one of the reasons that I became an educator. His legacy lives on in hundreds of players who remember his stern voice, calm fire, and easy smile. I can literally hear him now, telling me to be in the flat triangle, to never let a player cut in front of me, to rotate, and to help out on defense. I will find an old gym somewhere and run one last set of lines for Coach.

Gala Ball

The TAS community of parents, teachers, administrators, alumni, and friends celebrated the school’s long-standing tradition of excellence at the 15th annual Gala Ball. All proceeds benefited the TAS Annual Giving Program and were designated for Building Excellence. Gala Ball volunteers invested a great deal of time and tremendous effort, including Charlotte Kuo ’86 and Vera Wu ’87. Many alumni contributed items to the silent and live auctions, supporting the school and showcasing their talents and businesses. Thank you to everyone who helped make this Gala so successful!

Taipei American School relies on gifts to the Annual Giving program to fund initiatives for our students that would otherwise not be possible. your gift can be designated toward one or a combination of five different initiatives: program Excellence, professional Excellence, Building Excellence, Endowment, and the Hope N.F. phillips Scholarship Fund. Last school year, gifts made the following enhancements and opportunities possible.

program Excellence

Gifts to Program Excellence are reflected in the achievements of our students, the development of programs, and the expansion of unique learning opportunities school-wide. You can see excellence in action through programs everywhere on campus - in the classrooms, laboratories, performance spaces, and sports facilities. Your support enables us to capitalize on the excellent education we offer and to carry the school to even greater heights. Last school year, gifts to Program Excellence supported:

Joanna Nichols Visiting Scholar and Artist in residence

Dr. Nancy Steinhardt visited TAS for the month of January as the sixth Joanna Nichols Visiting Scholar, teaching students, teachers, and parents about the fascinating world of ancient Chinese art and architecture. Dr. Steinhardt is the Department Chair and Professor of East Asian Art at the University of Pennsylvania. She is also the Curator of Chinese Art for the Penn Museum. Concert maestro Dr. Richard Gill visited TAS for the third time as the Joanna Nichols Performing Artist in Residence.

Sports program

Funds supported the annual TAS Invitational Swim Meet and the swimming team by providing swim caps and training products by FINIS for technique and strength development; specialized photography equipment; greater coverage of IASAS events; and tackle bags for rugby.

mu N program

Contributions partially funded the Qatar Leadership Conference as well as Ryan Villanueva’s visit to campus. Mr. Villanueva, from The Best Delegate Organization, presented at the TAS EARCOS workshop and NOVA MUN event.

robotics program

An Epilog model C laser tube was purchased for the laser cutter epilog50W machine that is used in the lab.

Film Studies

The film studies program benefited from the purchase of new equipment, including an MSI GTX Gaming 4G (P) graphic card, a DJI OSMO handheld 4K camera, and 3-AXIS gimbal.

Additionally, several students had the opportunity to travel to Berlin.

Art program

The art program benefited from an art intern during the summer to maintain the middle school Art Garden. In addition, the upper school visual arts department replaced the old kiln with an electric/gas hybrid kiln with a loading car.

Lower School

Entomologist Dee Wu visited the Lower School. Students handled and learned about various insects and reptiles.

Theater Arts program

Funds supported the theater arts program through the purchase of scripts and stage supplies, as well as sound lighting equipment. Gifts also brought guest speakers and teachers to school, such as Joseph Lark-Riley and Neil Farrelly, who conducted masterclasses on technical theater and acting. Darius Nash conducted an upper school drama master class, rehearsals and a performance.

professional Excellence

Endowment

Gifts to Endowment help assure longterm financial stability for the school. It ensures that future generations of TAS students enjoy excellence in education. It also serves as an emergency reserve. Twenty percent of all Annual Giving Program gifts made toward Building Excellence, Program Excellence, or Professional Excellence are designated to Endowment.

TAS is dedicated to recruiting, developing, and retaining engaged and innovative subject matter experts who have a direct impact on exceptional student learning. Conference attendance, action research, and cutting-edge technology integration require commitment and resources. Contributions support teachers by offering meaningful professional development to keep faculty inspired and at the forefront of their field. Gifts to Professional Excellence provided many opportunities last school year, including:

General professional Development

Dr. Ron Richhart consulted with a group of administrators and teachers on developing a culture of learning at TAS.

Joanna Nichols professional Excellence Award

Principals and the Head of School select two teachers from each division annually who demonstrate commitment to excellence in their classroom and who have exceptional student performance data and feedback surveys from parents and students as recipients of the Joanna Nichols Professional Excellence Award. 2017 recipients include Abigail Chen, Cory Edwards, Chris Fox, Lori Richardson Garcia, Keri Donnay, and Clarabelle Lin.

Frank Benson Student Support Services

Funds supported Dr. Bonnie Singer’s visit to TAS. Dr. Singer spent two days presenting to all faculty and working with smaller groups of teachers on Brain Frames and their application in the classroom.

Gifts to Building Excellence support the development of campus facilities, which enhances programs across the school. Over the years, Building Excellence has built or enhanced the campus facilities in many ways. With gifts to Building Excellence Part 1: Facilities Development Project, new facilities were built such as the Upper School Science and Technology Building, the Liu Lim Arts Center, and a new gym. Contributions to the Annual Fund for the Building Excellence Part 2 initiative were designated for the Health and Wellness Center and for bleachers for the new gym. Last year, gifts to Building Excellence made possible:

Tech Cube

Gifts allowed TAS to commence building the Tech Cube, a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to KA-12 STEAM education.

Lower School

Funds provided a lower school basketball court dome as well as basketballs, a security camera, aluminum bleachers, a storage room, and post padding.

Hope N.F. phillips Scholarship Fund

Taipei American School established the Hope N.F. Phillips Scholarship Fund to provide partial scholarships— temporary tuition support—to families experiencing financial difficulties. This scholarship fund allows students who would otherwise have to leave the school because of financial hardship to continue their education at TAS.

The scholarship deservingly bears the name of Hope N.F. Phillips, former teacher, principal, board member, and alumni ambassador at large. This scholarship had been her dream for many years. It bears the name of one who has greatly enriched the history of the school, and it ensures that capable and valued students are able to continue their education at our school.

The Hope N.F. Phillips Scholarship Fund has had and will have a direct impact on the students of Taipei American School now and for generations to come.

2016-2017-six students 2015-2016-five students 2014-2015-one student 2013-2014-three students 2012-2013-four students

Parents, faculty, staff, alumni, friends, and corporations are invited to contribute and assist us in growing this fund. Please support the Hope N. F. Phillips Scholarship Fund online at https://www.tas.edu.tw/give

Tech Cube Construction Progress

Thank you to the following alumni who chose to participate in our Annual Giving program during the 2017-2018 school year. your gifts are greatly appreciated.

(As of April 6, 2018)

Alumni

Anonymous

Jeanne Foxworth McKim ‘56

Susan Lynch ‘58

Robert Yen ‘62

Virginia Bristow Meyer ‘65

Dr. Winnie Tang ‘65

Art McCurdy ‘66

Terry Shu ‘68

Barbara Smith ‘71

Barbara Sunday ‘71

Margaret Poston ‘73

Larry Rench ‘73

Linda Groat Sheppard ‘73

Phil Peach ‘74

Justin J. Chu ‘75

Robert Herndon ‘75

Sherry Kuei and Jim Boyle ‘76

Hong Van ‘76

Bruce Bateman ‘77

Caroline Yen ‘77

Rose Chan Loui ‘78

Helen Koo ‘78

Agnes Chen ‘80

York Internatinal Group

Emmet ‘81 and Jackie Hsu ‘81

Mae Hwa Huang ‘87

Charles Lin ‘87

Judy Lee-Weng Wang ‘88

Nancy Chua ‘89

Roderick Sun ‘89

James Tsao ‘89

Naveen Alwani ‘91

Kelvin Cheuk ‘91

Gary Mi ‘91 and Janet Chen ‘92

Julian Wolhardt ‘91 and Ketty Lieu ‘91

Margaret Jen ‘92

Timothy Chen ‘92

Matt Davies ‘92

Cheng Family

Shing Chi Poon ‘92 and E Wen Liao

Steven Soo ‘92

Heidi Steigmann ‘92

James Tsao ‘92

Meiyin Wang ‘92

Victor Wong ‘92

Tony Wolfe ‘92

Mimi Wu ‘92

Vivian Chiang ‘93 and Joseph Hei ‘93

Edward Wang ‘93

Chris Peng ‘93 and Julie Yang ‘93

Allen Timothy Chang ‘94

Charles Chang ‘94

Irene Fan ‘94

David Lee ‘94

Hyunjae Lee ‘94

Steve Lin ‘94

Eric Liu ‘94 and Heidi Chen ‘95

Yun-Ting Poon ‘94

Paul Shih ‘94

David Tang ‘94 Richard Wang ‘94

Caesar Chang ‘95

Irene Chang ‘95 and Ryan Huang ‘94 Michael Lee ‘95

David Ta-Wey Liu ‘95 Sandia Ren ‘95

Karen Kuo Lee ‘96

Imie Liu ‘96

Larry Chi ‘97

Andrea Chiu ‘97

Robert Chung’ 97 Marshall Hao ‘97

Galex Yen ‘97 and Heather Chen ‘97 Jason Chin ‘98

Walter Ho’ 98

Jesse Hsia ‘98 Howard Huang’ 98

Timothy Weiting Huang ‘98 Steve Mar ‘98

Johnson Yeh ‘98

Jennifer Hsu ‘99

Hanry Kuo ‘99

Likai Gu ‘00

Jerry Lin ‘00

Debra Chow ‘97 and Jonathan Chow ‘01

Terry Chung ‘01

Chie Takehara ‘01

Bricina Yen ‘01 Sean Cheng ‘02

Johnny Kwok ‘02

Jay Shuang ‘02

Pearl Ai Wha Chen ‘03

Michael Hsieh ‘97 and Jennifer Hsui ‘03

Frank Kuo ‘03

David Lo ‘03

Cleo Tsai ‘03

Paul Newman ‘04 Caleb Yang ‘04

Robert Wang ‘05

Zachary Mar ‘07

Yi Ming Tan ‘07

Li Yip Koh ‘08

Derek Lee ‘08 Michael Chai ‘09 Michael Chen ‘09

Julian Yao ‘09

Vincent Wang ‘10

Jocelyn Bohn ‘11

Daphne Ho ‘11

Ping Chiu ‘13 Robert Tseng ‘14 Vincent Yang ‘14 Francis Yu ‘14 Michael Ang ‘15 Antonio Chan ‘15 Leah Ruggiere Anthony Tu ‘15 Deepak Vanjani ‘15 Sean Cheng ‘16 Michael Chou ‘16 Brian Chu ‘16 Kevin Hsu ‘16 Jonathan Moon ‘16 Jeremy Shih ‘16 Phoebe Tseng ‘16 Seamus Boyle ‘17

Class of 2017

Alumni Open Gym Group 2017

Current Board members who are Alumni

Ferdinand P. Tsien and Family Joseph ‘87 and Katherine Hwang David Ko ‘92 and Elizabeth Wang ‘91 Paul Hsu ‘94

Current Faculty who are Alumni Anonymous

Maria Peters ‘89 Betty Chang ‘92 Helen Chen ‘94 Terry and Cheryl Lagerquist ‘98

•••••••••••• ••••••••••••••••••••••• •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• •••• ••••••••••••• •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Teresa Chiang ‘02

Michelle Kao ‘03

Evelyn Chen ‘03

Teddy Tu ‘04

Former Administrators and Former Faculty

Steve Panta

John Dankowski

Ralph Whalen Karin Perry

Current parents who are Alumni Anonymous

Erwin Shyu ‘76 and Tina Fan

George Koo and Joy Tsien

Winston Hsia and Yutina Huang

H. Lee and J. Lin

David Wu and Karen Chyan

Betty Yu and Mark Hsu

Amy Wong

Frances Kuo and Henry Lin

Dennis Hong ‘87

Royce Hong and Grace Cheung Mark Go

Vera Wu

Timothy Chang ‘80 and Shirley Chang ‘88

Iris Hsu ‘88

Stanley ‘88 and Annabelle Ko

Dan Cooper ‘89 and Yi-Fen Cooper

Steven Y.K. Gee ‘89 and Lily Choi

Kazumi Ko and Edward Ko ‘89

Jeffrey Dawn ‘89 and Grace Tsai ‘89

Cynthia Hsu ‘91 and Alfred Woo ‘89

Irene and Philip Chen

Michael Fei ‘90 and Maria Ting ‘89

Krista Lee and Paul Hu

Randy Chen ‘91 and Cindy Teeters

Chung-Jen Kuo

Austin Lee ‘91

Leo Wang ‘91

Mark Wang ‘91 and Yumi Cho

Joyce Yu ‘91

Johnny Liao and Judy Chen

Stephanie Hong ‘92

Judy Gee and Antonio Ng

Cheney Wang and Sherry Hsia

Anthony Wong ‘92 and Grace Kuo ‘92

Toshiu Nakama

Ikyo Asanaka

Reynold Kuo and Inga Chiang

Chris Liu and Conny Lin ‘93

Richard Moh ‘93 and Shao-Yun Yang

Brian Hsieh and Tina Wu ‘93

Richard ‘91 and Ting Ting Yang ‘93 Catherine Hsu

Alan Lee

Brenda Lin ‘94 and Billy Betts Michelle Chow Su ‘94

Betty Hsu and Steven Huang ‘95

Christina King ‘95

David Lin and Fong-Yee Nyeu Hiromitsu Katsuyama and Lisa Wang ‘95

Darren Huang and Shirley Wei

Rinton Han ‘96

Rick Chi

Amy Hsi and Frank Day

Edward Deng ‘96 and Lydia Lim ‘97 Mareen Tien

Louis Liu and Amy Su

The Chao family Monica Yen ‘00 and Louis Wu Service Organization

E.H. and M.E. Bowerman Advised Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation

marching Gifts

Oracle Corporation in Honor of the Class of 1992: 25-year reunion Anonymous

Margaret Jen ‘92 Betty Chang ‘92 Timothy Chen ‘92 Stephanie Hong ‘92 Matt Davies ‘92 Judy Gee ‘92 Sherry Hsia ‘92 Cheng Family Karen Perry

Shing Chin Poon’92 and E Wen Liao Steven Soo ‘92 Heidi Steigmann ‘92 Meiyin Wang ‘92

Tony Wolfe ‘92 Mini Wu ‘92 in Honor of the Class of 1996 Anonymous

Karen Kuo Lee ‘96 in Honor of the Class of 1999 Jennifer Hsu’99 in Honor of richard Arnold Helen Koo’78

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in memory of Doug Bishop Michelle Kao’03 in memory of David Blowers Caleb Yang’04 in memory of Barbara Blandford Helm

Susan Lynch ‘58 in memory of Hope N.F. phillips Anonymous E.H. and M.E. Bowerman Advised Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation

Terry Shu ’68 in memory of Joyce Bush whalen Ralph Whalen

Make a Gift

Alumni donors from last school year received a special Chinese New Year card with a paper cutting of the character “Chun” meaning Spring. Members of the Upper School Chinese Honor Society hand-made more than 400 paper cuttings in appreciation of support from alumni who made a gift to support the school.

As part of our Please Have a Seat campaign, members of the TAS community have the opportunity to name a seat in the Guy Lott Jr. Auditorium. For NT$90,000, you can have a plaque inscribed for permanent display on a chair in the Auditorium.

Your gift to this Building Excellence initiative funds renovations to the Guy Lott Jr. Auditorium, including seats, carpeting, cabling works, LED lighting, and more. Your gift ensures students continue to have a world class performing arts space for drama, dance, music, and assemblies.

This year, the Class of 1992 named Chair #92 in celebration of their 25-year reunion and the Class of 1996 named Chair #96. Chair numbers matching class years have been reserved for alumni. Contact the Development Office to name a chair in honor of your class, family, or former teacher. For more information, please visit the Supporting TAS section of the website.

December 2018 saw the arrival of the inaugural Stanley ‘88 and Annabelle Ko Visiting Scholar in Classics, Princeton Professor Dan-el Padilla Peralta, to TAS. A well-known intellectual with degrees from Princeton, Oxford, and Stanford, Professor Padilla Peralta first received national attention with the publication of his 2015 memoir Undocumented: A Dominican Boy’s Odyssey from a Homeless Shelter to the Ivy League. In addition to visiting Greek and Latin classes in which he read with students and shared insights about texts ranging from Lysias’ fifth-century Greek to Tacitus’ imperial Latin prose, Professor Padilla Peralta also spent time with political science classes, addressed the student body and faculty during two afternoon assemblies, and spoke to parents and community members in the evening. His topic in all of his addresses was “Citizenship, Ancient and Modern.” He addressed difficult questions of public policy concerning immigration with reference to ancient texts and a deep knowledge of world events. He offered a myriad of insights into why the Greeks and Romans matter very much, perhaps now more than ever, in the intellectual lives of human beings and citizens everywhere. Thank you to Stanley ‘88 and Annabelle Ko for making this opportunity possible!

Photo Credit: Upper School Digital Photography Class

Tech cube consTrucTion

updaTe

On Friday, December 8, 2017, TAS held a small “Topping Off Ceremony” to watch the last piece of structural steel be placed on the Tech Cube. TAS administrators and representatives from Parsons Brinkerhoff, KHL Architects, and I-Cheng Construction & Development Corporation (ICC) celebrated this construction milestone by signing the steel beam, writing messages to current and future generations of TAS students. Mr. Steve Panta, former Assistant Superintendent for Business and Operations and currently our consultant on the project, thanked Edward Wang ‘93, Jerry Lin, and Clark Chen from ICC; Henry Ho from TongHo Steel; Simon Kao, Yuhao Huang, Yu-Ren Xu, and Hong-Song Lai from KHL; Alex Lai, Alex Huang, and Angel Lin from WSP; and the many parent donors whose gifts to the school have made this project possible. Fireworks hung from the beam as the crane lifted it from the ground and placed it on top of the building.

The Tech Cube will open to students in early 2019. This five-story, open-planned STEAM facility with a focus on design, technology, and robotics will have dedicated floors for each division, allowing for collaboration, continuity, and teamwork. TAS is on the cutting edge of STEAM and robotics education, and the Tech Cube solidifies our leadership in this key strategic area.