UCSB Chancellor Henry Yang named to Business Times Hall of Fame
UC Santa Barbara Chancellor Henry T. Yang will become the 22nd member of the Pacific Coast Business Times Hall of Fame.
Yang is the fifth chancellor in UCSB’s history, and by far its longest serving, having led the campus since 1994. He will be inducted at a virtual event on May 20 and will be featured in the April 23 issue of the Business Times, in its annual Hall of Fame edition.
“We’re delighted to recognize the visionary leader of UCSB and the architect of its emergence as a global magnet for entrepreneurs,” said Henry Dubroff, founder and editor of the Business Times. “It’s also a matter of personal pride to welcome our first Henry into the Hall of Fame.”
The Business Times is honoring Yang as it celebrates its 21st Anniversary. The May 20 program will also recognize the 2020 Hall of Fame inductees: Lecil “Lee” Cole, retired CEO and Chairman of Calavo; Pam Lopker, co-founder of QAD and a UCSB alum; and Richard Rush, founding president of CSU Channel Islands.
Yang is one of the longest serving chancellors in the history of the University of California system. He was formerly the Neil A. Armstrong Distinguished Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue University, where he also served as the dean of engineering.
Yang is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the American Society for Engineering Education, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
He currently chairs the international Thirty Meter Telescope project and serves on the Kavli Foundation Board. He has also served on scientific advisory boards for the Department of Defense, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, NASA, and the National Science Foundation.
The Business Times is recognizing Yang for his leadership and work with faculty to develop entrepreneurship programs at UCSB, including its flagship Technology Management degree programs. Under his leadership, the university and its faculty have built world-class companies in software, medical devices and compound semiconductors as well as LED lighting.
On campus, Yang is a favorite among students and he continues to teach an undergraduate course every year. He’s also authored or co-authored 190 articles for scientific journals, as well as a widely used textbook on finite element structural analysis. He has guided 55 Ph.D. and 21 M.S. recipients.
He and his wife, Dilling, live on campus. Dilling volunteers her time to the university.
The Business Times created the Hall of Fame during its 10th anniversary in 2010. Past inductees include: Marsha Bailey, Brooks Firestone, the late Jack Gilbert, Jeff Henley, Peter Jordano, the late Hank Lacayo, John D. MacFarlane, Angel Martinez, Sara Miller McCune, Clint Pearce, the late J.D. “Dave” Power, Carrol Pruett, the late Martin V. Smith, Rick Stollmeyer, the late Alan Teague, the late Michael Towbes, Lynda Weinman and Anant Yardi.
