Cornell’s Department of Asian Studies is delighted and honored to inaugurate the Tina Han Su Cooper ’66 Award. This undergraduate summer funding opportunity recognizes an outstanding Cornell undergraduate engaged in the study of Chinese cultural areas. The Tina Han Su Cooper ’66 Award recognizes student achievement. Moreover, this substantial summer funding of $5000 makes it possible for the awardee to deepen their intellectual engagement while preparing for their scholarly and professional life after graduation. This new award may be used for summer intensive Chinese language study at the advanced-intermediate or advanced level (in the U.S. or overseas); summer or winter research leading to a senior thesis; or summer coursework related to Chinese cultural areas at another university. Second- or third-year students at Cornell are eligible to apply for the Tina Han Su Cooper ’66 Award if they have already demonstrated a significant interest in the study of Chinese cultural areas by taking at least one course in Cornell’s Department of Asian Studies. The award application requires a substantial proposal by the student applicant and support from recommending Department of Asian Studies faculty.
A generous gift has established the Tina Han Su Cooper ’66 Award, founded in memory of Tina Han Su Cooper, who graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences in June 1966 with distinction in all subjects, having majored in Far Eastern Studies. Tina was born in China during the Second World War; she pursued Far Eastern Studies at Cornell to understand her Chinese heritage more comprehensively. She spent her junior semester abroad at the London School of Economics. After her baccalaureate degree, she pursued her interest in Chinese culture at Harvard University, where she received a master’s degree with honors in Far Eastern Studies. Tina Han Su Cooper’s intellectual journey offers inspiration to a new generation of students at Cornell. The Department of Asian Studies is grateful to Dr. Irene H.S. So ’61, Dr. Eugene Y. Su, and Dr. Douglas W. Cooper ’64 for choosing to honor the late Tina Han Su Cooper by investing in the intellectual lives of Cornell students.
