Shu, Frank H.
Oral history interview with Frank Shu, 2021 May 27.
Interview with Frank Shu, University Professor emeritus at UC Berkeley and UC San Diego, and Founder and CEO of Astron Solutions Corporation. Shu describes his current work on climate mitigation through his company, Astron Solutions Corporation, and he reflects on how his expertise in physics is useful for this endeavor. He recounts his family origins in Wenzhou, China, and their experiences during the Japanese occupation. Shu describes his familys journey to the United States through Hong Kong and Taiwan, and the opportunities that led to his undergraduate study in physics at MIT. He describes his early interests in gravitational collapse, and he explains his decision to pursue graduate research at Harvard, where he worked on density wave theory of spiral structure under the direction of Max Krook. Shu explains his broader interest in star formation and his work at Stony Brook before taking a faculty position at Berkeley. He describes the inside out collapse model and the formative influence of Peter Goldreich. Shu explains how he came to lead Tsing Hua University and his achievements in raising its stature before joining the faculty at San Diego, and he discusses his original interests in climate change research. He describes the Heat Exchanger (HX) Project and how his research on nuclear energy has therapeutic benefits for cancer patients. Shu discusses his patent on sealed carbon fiber reinforced carbon nanotubes and the hurdles that are preventing the widespread adoption of molten salt technology. At the end of the interview, Shu describes the importance of taking multi-pronged approach to climate mitigation and that humanitys best response at this point is to recognize climate change as an emergency.
Frank Shu is University Professor Emeritus at UC Berkeley and UC San Diego, as well as the Founder and CEO of Astron Solutions Corporation. Shu completed his graduate studies at Harvard University and subsequently worked at Stony Brook University. Shu was also President of National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan from 2002 to 2006.
Bowyer, C. Stuart, 1934-
Filippenko, Alexei V.
Goldreich, Peter, 1939-
Herbig, G. H. (George H.)
Hua, Luogeng, 1910-1985
Krook, Max
Lee, Yuan Tseh, 1936-
Lin, C. C. (Chia-Ch iao), 1916-2013
Shu, Frank H.
Townes, Charles H.
Guo li qing hua da xue (Hsinchu City, Taiwan)
Harvard University.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Stony Brook University
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, San Diego
Asian American scientists
Astrophysics
Climatic changes
Cosmology
Density wave theory.
Gravitational collapse.
Nuclear energy
Racism.
Spiral galaxies
Stars -- Evolution
Interviews. aat
Oral histories. aat
Transcripts. aat
Zierler, David, 1979- interviewer.
AIP-ICOS
American Institute of Physics. Niels Bohr Library & Archives. One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA