Texan Mosaic

by: MALLORY CARVER/Editorial Assistant 

The family of Dr. Te-Lung “Jesse” Yeh has been working to establish a Memorial Scholarship Endowment to assist a South Plains College student who is majoring in chemistry or science.

As the well-liked professor of chemistry, Dr. Yeh taught at SPC for 25 years. He fought a two-year battle with brain cancer and passed away on Nov. 17, 2014.

Dr. Jesse Yeh began his secondary education in Taipei, Taiwan, where he attended Fun Jen University. After earning a Bachelor of Science Degree, he went on to spend two years in the Marines, where he achieved the rank of Second Lieutenant. After two years of service, he returned to Fun Jen University and taught for a year.

He moved to Lubbock in 1981 to attend Texas Tech University, where he ultimately received his Doctorate of Philosophy in Chemistry. He taught for one year at Texas A&M University, before moving to South Plains College. Dr.Yeh was selected as Teacher of the Year two times at SPC, not only by his students, but once by faculty too. Then, in 2007, he received the Faculty Excellence Award.

The former professor of chemistry is remembered by his family, students, and fellow faculty members for being passionate about his career.
“He was a very knowledgeable, dynamic, and out-going instructor that was a favorite of the students,” says Dr. Sam Wages, the chairperson of the Biology Department, who worked with Dr. Yeh for around 25 years.
John Heh, chairperson of the Science Department, worked with Dr. Yeh for 15 years.
“His joy for teaching was evident every day,” Heh says. “He was the funniest person on campus, and he was able to make a dry subject extremely entertaining to the students…We miss him very much.”

Dr. Yeh and his wife, Cheng-Chih Hsieh, have two sons: Shao-Lon Yeh, age 15, and Shao-Min Yeh, age 12. Both boys attend school in Lubbock, where Shao-Lon is in high school, and Shao-Min is in middle school.
When their beloved husband and father passed away, the family requested donations for a scholarship, in place of flowers. Those donations were used to provide funds for the memorial scholarship.

Students interested in receiving the Dr. Yeh Memorial Scholarship should meet these following requirements:

Be a U.S. Citizen and permanent resident.

Either be a full-time student (taking at least 12 semester hours), or a part-time student.

Maintain a 2.5 cumulative GPA.

Also, preference will be granted to a student majoring in chemistry and second choice will be given to a student majoring in science.

Dr. Yeh was an exemplary professor that had a role in many peoples’ lives. His memory live on through this scholarship, which will provide a deserving chemistry or science major the funds to continue their education.

For more information regarding this scholarship or to make a donation to this memorial scholarship, contact Julie Gerstenberger, Director of Development, at South Plains College.