By: Claire Caton

This week, Vice Provost Michael Dressman presented Sarah Wu, director of the Cultural Division of the Taipei Economic Cultural Office (TECO) with a proclamation heralding her service to the University and the Taiwanese community in Houston.

Throughout her four-year tenure in Houston, Wu and TECO played instrumental roles in the establishment of the Bayou Connection, a committed group of Taiwanese Houstonians with a vision for building bridges between their two hometowns. She also helped pave the way for UHD faculty, administrators and students to travel to Taiwan and develop collaborative relationships with Taiwanese universities, including Central Police University (CPU), Ming Chuan University, Chung Hua University, the National University of Tainan and the National Chung-Cheng University.

With her assistance, to date, the Bayou Connection has enabled:

• More than 100 CPU students to study English at UHD's English Language Institute;
• 40 UHD students to visit Taiwan and learn about the criminal justice system in that country;
• Faculty exchanges between UHD and CPU professors; and
• Enhanced research opportunities on criminal justice, forensic lab management, and crime and preventive strategies for students and faculty.

Also through the Bayou Connection, UHD administrators were introduced to philanthropist and entrepreneur Dr. Yung-Fa Chang, another UHD champion and friend. Dr. Chang's recent $2 million gift to the University established the Yung-Fa Chang Endowment for Student Grants-in-Aid, which provides empowering scholarships to UHD students pursing varied careers from healthcare and business to criminal justice and the arts.