Chen Wei-hong, a candidate for doctor's degree, Department of Chemistry, recently won the first prize in the Fiber & Textile Group at the 2009 Annual Meeting of R.O.C Polymer Symposium held in Tatung University with his paper about the application and development of functional polymer. “The paper presented in the Annual Meeting of R.O.C Polymer Symposium is my dissertation,” said Chen, adding that he has spent the past three years doing research on this topic. “I am very glad that the paper can win me the award in such a prestigious meeting.”

Annual Meeting of R.O.C Polymer Symposium is the most prestigious gathering in the field in Taiwan. It is held annually and attracts more than 1200 noted scholars and experts specialized in polymer technology. Chen also won the first prize in the 2008 Annual Meeting of R.O.C Polymer Symposium. Chen disclosed that he is currently filing his research for patent application both in Taiwan and in USA. Chen said that his research focuses on studying the environment-friendly or “green” polymeric materials. “I am trying to provide a new approach to strengthen the sustainability of such polymeric materials, and to make the material easier to be produced.”

Chen expressed gratitude to his advisor Dr. Chen Kan-nan, Vice President for Academic Affairs. It is because of his instruction that Chen said he was able to make breakthrough in his research. Chen also thanked his teammates who worked under Dr. Chen in a polymeric materials project in the laboratory in TKU. Chen, who will be graduating from the TKU very soon and earned his PhD degree, said that he will be serving as Research and Development Substitute Service after his graduation. He hoped that he can continue to devote himself in the studying of Polymer in the future. ( ~Yeh Yun-kai )