March 20, 2023
Chih-Hsiang (Thompson) Lin, ME ’83, MS EE ’90, PhD EE ’93, has been recognized with a Missouri Honor Award for his contributions to engineering and the College. The award is the highest honor bestowed by Mizzou Engineering.
“I am happy to be able to support the College and give back,” Lin said. “I am grateful for this recognition.”
Dr. Lin is Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (AOI), a leading provider of fiber-optic networking products for the internet data center, cable television and fiber-to-the-home markets. Dr. Lin founded AOI in February 1997 and has been leading the company since its inception. He has served as a director on the company’s board since 1997 and has served as the Chairman of the Board since January 2014.
Dr. Lin has an extensive background in business management, having led AOI from a start-up to a publicly traded company. Under his leadership, AOI has become a leading provider of optical networking products, serving customers in North America, Europe and Asia.
In addition to his role at AOI, Dr. Lin has also served as a research associate professor and senior research scientist at the University of Houston.
Dr. Lin has provided guidance and expertise to Mizzou leadership for nearly a decade. Since 2015, he has been a member of the University of Missouri’s Chancellor’s Advisory Group and joined the College of Engineering’s council the following year. He currently serves as co-chair of the Dean’s Advisory Council.
At Mizzou, Dr. Lin established the Professor Jon M. Meese, PhD/AOI Endowed Fellowship in Engineering, which supports fellowship awards to graduate students who are pursuing a PhD or master’s degree in electrical engineering and or bioengineering.
“Thompson has had an incredible career around engineering, entrepreneurship, research and leadership,” said Noah Manring, dean of the College. “We so appreciate his time and willingness to share that expertise as we strive to educate more students who will graduate and change the world just as he has.”
Learn more about the Missouri Honor Award.