The Science and Engineering Complex has been renamed the Tsungming Tu Complex, or TTC for short. Tufts announced the change on Wednesday, following an over $10-million-dollar gift from mathematics professor Loring Tu. Tu made the donation in honor of his late grandfather, Tsungming Tu, a pioneer in modern Taiwanese medicine known for his work addressing opium addiction in Taiwan.
“[The SEC] provides diverse opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations across the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering. Given that the complex was designed, in part, to foster discoveries in science, Loring felt this was a particularly fitting way to recognize his grandfather’s legacy,” University President Sunil Kumar, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences Bárbara Brizuela and Dean of the School of Engineering Kyongbum Lee announced in a university-wide email on Wednesday.
After graduating from medical college in 1914 with a specialization in internal medicine and pharmacology, Tsungming went on to become the first person from Taiwan to earn a doctor of medical sciences degree and the first Taiwanese person to become a professor in Taiwan. At the request of the Japanese government following World War II, he led efforts to address widespread opium addiction throughout Taiwan, setting up Taiwan’s first opium addiction clinic. In 1954, Tsungming founded Taiwan’s first private medical school, Kaohsiung Medical College, located in southern Taiwan.
Loring, who has taught at Tufts 38 years, is a long-time donor to the university, having created two endowed scholarships and founded three on-campus houses for juniors and seniors.
