Dr. Ping-Wha Lin

Dr. Ping-Wha Lin passed away at his own home in Angola, Indiana at 5:45 a.m. on September 14, 2013 after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease and prostate cancer. He finally died after contracting shingles. He is survived by his wife Sylvia; his daughter Karen Lin and her husband David Catanzarite, and grandson Antonio Catanzarite; and his son Karl Lin. He was the youngest of five siblings whose names are late Ping-Chung Lin and late wife Min Liang Lin and has two sons Tom and Frank, late Helen Chang and late husband C.G. Chang (Washington, D.C.), Jean Chang and late husband Kenneth Chang (New Jersey) has a son named Peter Tong , and Sung-Wu Lin and wife Linda (Fullerton, CA)and has two grown sons named the late John Lin & wife Pranee ( daughter named Faby) and Jim & wife Joanna Lin (son named Samuel). Ping was born in 1925 in a village in Manchuria in northwestern China. He attended high school at National Second Middle School. During the World War II, his family moved around a lot which is why he speaks so many dialects of Chinese. His father Bao Jue Lin (born in Canton, China) was a railroad engineer administrator for Shanghai Railroad that ran from Beijing to Suy-Yen. It was the first train in China. Later his family moved to Hong Chow so his father could work on the Hong Chow Railroad connecting Shanghai to Hong Chow. His mother Yong Lian Zhu (born in Joong-San County - also Sun Yat Sen's native city) died when he was five. The family lived in Canton, Shanghai, Chun King, and other cities. In 1947, Ping graduated from Jiao-Tong University in Shanghai with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and became an instructor at Lingnan University in Kwongcho, China. Although very few people were allowed to leave China then, Ping was granted an Educational Visa among an extremely small group of people in 1950 to go to the United States to study. There he attended Purdue University under full scholarship and studied under Department Chair Professor Don Bloodgood. He received his M.S. Degree in Environmental Engineering in 1949. In 1951, Ping received his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering also from Purdue University. For the next decade (1951-1961), Ping went to New York City to work at different consulting engineer firms such as Ammann & Whitney, Lockwood Greene Engineers, Inc., Brickenhoff, Hall & McDonald. He later joined many professional organizations American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), American Water Works Association (AWWA), American Chemical Society (ACS), International Platform Association, American Association for Advancement of Science, Water Pollution Control Federation, American Mathematical Association, and Sigma Xi, Chi Epsilon. Ping also worked for the World Health Organization. In 1962-1966 he roamed the world working as an Environmental Engineer to eradicate malaria in many rural villages in Ghana. He also played a key role in improving municipal waste disposal and waterworks construction programs in Nigeria. During this time he also served as an advisor to other various governments on matters relating to environmental engineering. In 1979, Ping went to work for the World Health Organization again - this time in Lahore, Pakistan. He was the Project Manager and worked on upgrading the Institute of Public Health Engineering and Research of the University of Engineering in Lahore for three years. In 1984, he worked as a consultant improving rural water supply in China. In 1959 through a mutual friend, Ping met Sylvia Mak (from Hong Kong) who was studying at Columbia University. He married her in 1961, and shortly afterwards they had a baby boy named Karl. Their second child was Karen. In 1965, Ping was hired as a professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Tri-State College in Angola, Indiana. He taught there from 1965 - 1995. He retired as a full professor, and attained Professor Emeritus status in 1995. He taught many students who came back to visit him for many years afterwards. Ping spent his life trying to better the world with his professional knowledge. He was an avid reader and subscribed to many professional journals. He was always trying to learn more, and he enjoyed researching and reading professional magazines in his free time. Over the last six decades, he has published well over 60 articles in professional magazines including articles on Lin's theory of Flux and its applications such as nuclear fusion reaction for energy production; and the principle of conversion from equilibrium and non-equilibrium reactions for increase of reaction rate and resulting product concentration, etc. In 1974, Ping started inventing on his own and established 17 patents in the field of air pollution control, construction materials, water and wastewater treatment, soil and foundation stabilization, etc. In 1988, he founded and became the CEO of Lin Technologies in the 80's. In 1973 he developed a sulfur dioxide (responsible for acid rain) removal process from stack gas where the by-product could be used for water and wastewater treatment and construction materials. Later he developed a novel method for constructing sub-jacent foundations which required soil freezing and tunneling and was particularly designed for stabilization of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. He was also a Resident Associate for Argonne National Laboratory in Argonne, IL in 1977. In 1983, he won a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a pilot plant project for the Lin Sulfur Dioxide Removal and Waste Products Utilization Process. His last professional appearance was presenting a paper in China in 2008. Lin has dedicated his working life to environmental engineering and is responsible for the Lin Theory of Flux, a pioneering development in fluid systems which bears his name. It can lead to more efficient and economic industrial processes and could have a far-reaching impact on fuel consumption, global warming, and the migration of pollution. The Theory has been substantiated by many published scientific accounts and by the pilot plant studies. It can be the basis for the development of far more efficient and economic processes. He believed, if utilized, the application of the Theory would promote world economy; and result in the reduction of energy consumption and mitigation of the adverse effects of pollution and global warming on our environment. He had ideas on sulphuric acid production based on his revolutionary approach and unlike conventional methods do not require catalytic converters or drying towers, resulting in a simple cheap and energy efficient process. Dr. Lin won many awards. Some of them are the International Peace Prize, United Culture Conventions, USA (daring to soar and creating a Harmony of Humankind), Achievement Award by the United Inventors and Scientists of America. Lin is listed in various years of publications like Who's Who in American Inventors, Honorary Award from Chinese Electrical Engineering, Industry's Directory of Technical Biography, Who's Who in Engineering, Who's Who in Technology Today, Who's Who in Midwest, Who's Who in Science and Technology, Who's Who in Education, Who's Who in the World (13th-16th ed), 500 Greatest Geniuses of the 2lst Century, American Biographical Institute, 500 Founders of the 21st Century, American Men & Women of Science, Men of Achievement, International Who's Who of Intellectuals, Men of Distinction, Leaders of American Science, and International Book of Honor, In his leisure time, Ping enjoyed playing Chinese Chess, writing, reading, and travel. He was a big Chinese food fan, and he will be dearly missed by his family and friends. Go, Dad and enjoy your new world with God. Services will be at 11:00 AM, Saturday, September 21, 2013 at the Weicht Funeral Home, Angola, Indiana with Rev. Deborah Davis officiating. Visitation will be from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM on Saturday at the funeral home prior to the service. You may sign the guestbook at www.weichtfh.com. Arrangements are being handled by the Weicht Funeral Home, Angola, Indiana.


Visitations:
9:30AM to 11:00AM on Saturday, September 21st, 2013 at Weicht Funeral Home (map/driving directions)

Services:
11:00AM at Weicht Funeral Home on Saturday, September 21st, 2013 (map/driving directions)