Academia Sinica Names Alice Cheung an Honorary Member
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Alice Y. Cheung, Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at UMass Amherst, was recently elected as Honorary Academician of Academia Sinica by the 36th Convocation of Academicians—one of only three such awards given this year.
Academia Sinica is Taiwan’s preeminent national academic institution, and election as an Academician is among the highest academic honors the country bestows.
Cheung, a plant biologist fascinated by how plants, and especially those that feed us, reproduce, is internationally renowned for her groundbreaking research, which utilizes cell biological, biochemical, molecular, and biophysical approaches. She has authored more than 100 publications, many of high impact, and her trailblazing work—supported by organizations including the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, among others—has received over 10,000 citations.
“It is most humbling and motivating to receive this honor,” says Cheung. “On a personal level, I was born and raised in the British Colony of Hong Kong from parents who left China in 1950. Therefore, this recognition is particularly gratifying for me because of my heritage. I am thankful for my supporters who introduced me to Academia Sinica’s assembly and advocated tirelessly for me. I am most grateful to my husband, life-long research partner, and scientific muse, Hen-Ming Wu, and to our students over the years who helped me build our work and make the journey fun. Through it all, UMass Amherst has been an important part of this journey. I hope our campus will continue to make investing in faculty and students a top priority.”
In addition to Academia Sinica, Cheung has been recognized by the National Academy of Sciences and the American Society of Plant Biologists, the largest plant biology disciplinary society in the world. In 2020, she was awarded one of the society’s highest honors, the Lawrence Bogorad Award for Excellence in Plant Biology. She is also an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a founding member of the ASPB Legacy Society, which works to nurture future generations of plant biologists.
At UMass Amherst, Cheung has mentored scores of students, including more than 100 undergraduates. She welcomes undergraduates with a wide range of interests and career goals to her lab, shares her own passion for learning, and trains them in how to ask scientific questions and solve problems—skills valuable for any future pursuits.
This story was originally published by the UMass News Office.