[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 177 (Thursday, October 26, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1020]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF PROFESSOR AN YIN

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TED LIEU

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 26, 2023

  Mr. LIEU. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor the 
life and legacy of Professor An Yin, who passed away on July 12, 2023. 
Mr. Yin was a distinguished Professor of Earth, Planetary, and Space 
Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles located in my 
congressional district.
  Professor Yin was born on June 24, 1959, in Harbin, China. He was a 
part of an intellectual family with both of his parents being medical 
professors. Mr. Yin was inspired by his family to pursue a career in 
science. He began his academic career at Beijing University where he 
studied Geomechanics before transferring to the University of Southern 
California (USC) in 1982 to join their master's and doctoral degree 
programs in structural geology.
  Professor Yin officially received his doctoral degree from USC in 
1988 and was offered a tenure tracked professorship at the University 
of California, Los Angeles. By 1996, he ascended to full Professor 
status at UCLA, even earning a title of Distinguished Professor for the 
year of 1995. During this time, Mr. Yin was sharing a joint appointment 
with the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics from 1995 to 
2011. He made important contributions to the field of geophysics by 
integrating a range of geological observations into unexplored fields 
in Earth and planetary science.
  Professor Yin was recognized widely for his innovative efforts to 
help understand how the planetary lithosphere forms and deforms. He was 
awarded the Young Scientist award and became a fellow of the Geological 
Society of America in 1994. He was then elected as a fellow of the 
American Geophysical Union in 2013. Another significant recognition he 
received was the prestigious Penrose Medal in 2022, which is the 
highest medal granted at the Geological Society of America.
  Professor Yin also kept a continued focus on the geology of China and 
East Asia. He and his colleagues worked together to construct views of 
many critical issues in key places throughout the territory, including 
fault systems in Central Tibet, possible seismic gaps in northern 
China, and a metamorphic belt in Qiangtang. He was a founding member of 
the International Professionals for Advancement of Chinese Earth 
Sciences in 1999, a non-profit organization established to promote 
earth science research and education in China and international 
collaborations. Mr. Yin offered lectures and courses to numerous 
students in China and inspired many young academic professionals to 
pursue interests in geophysics, geology, and geochemistry.
  Professor Yin is remembered for being an excellent advisor to many 
graduate and undergraduate students at UCLA. He supervised over 40 
graduate theses and was considered the backbone of the UCLA field 
research curriculum for over 30 years. Many of his students have gone 
on to accept professorships themselves and one of his doctoral 
graduates is a NASA astronaut. He set a high bar for the scientific 
community that remains an inspiration to all who studied under him.
  An Yin is survived by his wife Sandy and children, Daniel, and Hanah, 
along with his numerous mentees and academic colleagues who credit him 
with inspiring their strong work ethic and creative mindsets. May his 
memory live on in all those he taught and inspired in life.

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