Ting-wei Tang

Ting-wei Tang passed away peacefully on April 5, 2025, at Harper’s Station Assisted Living, Gainesville, VA. He was 90. He is survived by his son Steven (Joanne) of Haymarket, VA; daughter Patricia (Lamine) of Watertown, MA; and grandchildren Rachael, Heather, Nathan, and Marie. Ting-wei was predeceased by his beloved wife of 54 years, Shirley Shu-mei Tang. He was Professor Emeritus of Electrical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Born in Tongxiao Township, Taiwan, on May 27, 1934, Ting-wei was the second of six children of the late Chang-chi Tang and Wei Chiu. Growing up in modest circumstances, Ting-wei developed a strong work ethic at an early age, believing in the importance of education as a means for advancement. He maintained these values throughout his life. After graduating first in his class in high school, Ting-wei earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from National Taiwan University in 1957. He then came to the U.S. to pursue graduate studies, earning the M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Engineering from Brown University in 1961 and 1964, respectively. In 1963, he married the love of his life, Shirley. After completing his Ph.D., Ting-wei became an Assistant Professor at the University of Connecticut for four years before joining the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in 1968. UMass would become his academic home for more than three and a half decades, during which time he published more than 120 journal articles and conference papers, and taught and advised countless undergraduates, graduate students, and postdocs. Ting-wei’s research interests included semiconductor device physics and numerical modeling of semiconductor devices. In the 1980s, he served as the director of the Minority Engineering Program, creating a rigorous six-week summer program that allowed MEP students to live on campus, attend classes, and prepare for their studies in the coming fall. Dr. Tang was the recipient of the Outstanding Senior Faculty Award in 1989 and the Outstanding Teaching Award from the College of Engineering in 1991. In 2000, he was awarded the Chancellor’s Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon faculty by the University of Massachusetts. Ting-wei and his wife endowed the Shirley and Ting-wei Tang Endowment Lecture Series, which brings distinguished leaders of engineering education and engineering-based companies to UMass Amherst to interact with students and faculty. After retiring, Ting-wei continued his research, but also enjoyed spending more time traveling with family. He always took pride in his children and grandchildren, making sure they carried on his strong work ethic and devotion to educational pursuits. Ting-wei also loved to exercise, challenging others to push-up contests well into his mid-80s. He was a regular at the gym, and could always be found on the treadmills or exercise bikes while watching CNN. In his final years, he was grateful for the community of fellow residents and caring staff members at Harper’s Station. A private memorial service will be held at a later date; for more information, contact pjtang@mit.edu. Memorial donations may be made to the UMass Amherst Foundation’s College of Engineering at https://minutefund.uma-foundation.org/project/6296 in loving memory of Ting-wei Tang.

Ting-wei Tang

May 27, 1934 - April 5, 2025