Retired program manager, technology startup advisor are honored Physics and Astronomy alumni

Yok Chen is a retired program manager with the Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences and the Division of Material Science. He also worked at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and since 1972, an APS Fellow. Other accomplishments include 240 peer-reviewed publications, 6 patents related to crystal growth, edited two books, co-discoverer of positronium hydride. His research interests include: radiation effects; laser materials; high-temperature materials; redox effects; and spectroscopy and transport of hydrogenic isotopes in oxides; crystal growth; fission and fusion materials; optical spectroscopy (absorption and luminescence); electron paramagnetic resonance; and defect structures. Invited guest of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (former), Bulgaria, Siberia, Spain, Taiwan, China and Mexico.

Yok Chen is proud to have been the graduate student of Karl Lark-Horovitz (July 20, 1892 -- April 14, 1958), an American physicist known for his pioneering work in solid-state physics that played a role in the invention of the transistor. Yok is assumed to be the last person to have spoken with Karl before he passed away at his desk one night at Purdue. Yok also remembers AK Ramdas as a post-doctorate student and then assistant faculty member.

Bruce Schechter is an advisor, consultant or investor in a variety of technology startups, including Life360, BigML, Illumeo, SHIFTMobility, 3PointData, and Treasury Curve. He is a member of the Band of Angels, Silicon Valley's oldest organized Angel investor organization. Bruce began his career at Intel Corporation in 1980 and there he served a 17 year tenure in a variety of roles including Fab Process Engineering, Microprocessor Product Management, Technical Assistant to the Sr VP of Corporate Strategy, and Director of Online Marketing in the Corporate Marketing Group. Bruce was on the founding team of Pandesic LLC, a pioneer eCommerce application service provider, where he served as Director of Operations Management and then Director of Strategic Alliances.

Bruce is active in mentoring student entrepreneurs at both Stanford University and Purdue University, and is active in non-profit work, including his role as founder and President Emeritus of the Intel Alumni Network and as co-founder and past co-chairman of Purdue SVBIG (Silicon Valley Boilermaker Innovation Group). He received a BS in Physics and Math from Purdue University, where he graduated with Highest Honors and Phi Beta Kappa, and MUCH later he received an MS in Computer Science from Stanford University.