From: CHEN Yao
E-Mail: dchenyao@nyse.com
Subject: More about donations to Prof. Huang's family
Dear USTC friends, As some of you may have already known, Prof. Huang Pei-Hua, a leading earth scientist of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), was involved in a tragic accident, and died in hospital in late February, 1999 (see the attached brief account of the accident). Many overseas friends expressed condolence and sympathy, and asked whether or not they can contribute anything to help his family (who are in financial strain). We organized a committee to take care of the contributions. If you are considering a little financial help to his family, please write your check payable to HUANG, Zhihong, who is Prof. Huang's daughter and currently in the US. You can mail the check directly to her: HUANG, Zhihong 1 Santa Clara CT East Amherst, NY 14051 or Dr. Chenyao or any of us (see our addresses below), so we can put all things together and transfer to his family: David Chenyao 43 Logan Ave, 2FL Jersey City, NJ 07306 Xiaodong Song Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University Palisades, NY 10964 Jishu Deng Seismo Lab 252-21 Caltech Pasadena, CA 91125 Please note that 1. After the donations, we will consolidate a list with names and $ amount, which will be posted on the following website, http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~jishu/ustc.html and distributed back by email. 2. If you do not want to post your name, choose a code name. Therefore, you can still check your donation in the website (for example: student123 $200) while other people cannot. This will keep our donations transparent. 3. A wish of the family is to publish a book he finished shortly before passing away. 100% of your money will go either to the publication of his book or support of his family members. 4. Any amount, large or small, is good. But we suggest that professionals don't make contributions larger than $250, and students don't exceed $100. 5. Please circulate this message to all your friends from USTC. Sincerely, Committee on Donation to Prof. Huang's Family David Chenyao, dchenyao@nyse.com (7773) Xiaodong Song, xsong@ldeo.columbia.edu (8171) Jishu Deng, jdeng@ldeo.columbia.edu (8771) ******************************************************************************* The Tragic Death of Professor Huang Pei-Hua Professor Huang Pei-Hua, a distinguished earth scientist and educator of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) , died of massive brain damage caused by a tragic accident in February, 1999. The tragedy occurred on the east campus of USTC. During the Spring Festival holidays, an old friend came to visit him in Hefei. On Feb. 18 (lunar calendar Jan. 3), Prof. Huang went to the main cafeteria on campus to pick up his meal orders to host his visitors. While he was checking to see whether or not the meal was ready, he followed the wrong instructions of the kitchen fellows and stepped into the unsecured, unmarked freight elevator box, and fell down to the elevator cart parked one floor below. Right after the accident, he was able to walk to the unversity hospital with little help. Unfortunately, he was released without a thorough checkup. Several days later, his wife was alarmed by his condition and sent him to Anhui University of Medicine's hospital, where he lost and never regained consciousness. He died of massive brain damage from the accident shortly after the midnight on February 27, 1999, at the age of 67. Prof. Huang's tragic death has a large impact around the world. The family's apartment was inundated with flowers and mourning visitors. Condolence letters and telegrams reached the family from around the world. Nearly 200 people went to the funeral home and paid final respect. The official obituary declared that "the tragic loss is being felt by the entire earth science community." His body was cremated on March 16th. He was survived by his wife, Zhang Pei-Qiu, a professor emeritus at USTC as well, and his daughters, Huang Zhi-Hong and Huang Zhi-Pei. Currently Zhi-Hong is studying computer science in the United States. Zhi-Pei is in the USTC graduate school, living with her mother. All members of the family are still in the great pain of losing the loved person. Especially Prof. Zhang, who has been semi-bedbound for years, now is losing a husband and financial support. Her life will be extremely difficult without help from friends.