Tag: Biochemistry

Steve Yang

Dr. Steve Yang was inducted into the CSA Academy of Sciences and Arts on September 15, 2022. Dr. Yang is the Co-CEO of WuXi AppTec and a member of its board of directors. He is also WuXi AppTec’s Head of WuXi Biology and Head of WuXi Testing businesses. His responsibilities include the management of multiple business units and commercial operations. WuXi AppTec provides a broad portfolio of R&D and manufacturing services. These enable companies in the pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device industries worldwide to advance discoveries and deliver groundbreaking treatments to patients.

Dr. Yang received his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the University of California, San Francisco. He started his undergraduate study at Fudan University, China. Yang completed his B.S. degree (Summa Cum Laude) in biological sciences from Michigan Technological University. He co-founded the BayHelix Group and served as the board’s chairman for two terms. BayHelix Group is a non-profit global professional organization of Chinese life science business leaders. We are proud of all of Steve’s achievements and welcome him back to engage with our students and curriculum improvements.

James D. Spain

Professor James D. Spain, PhD. was inducted into the College of Sciences and Arts Academy on October 7, 2021. He is one of the founding members of the Department of Biological Sciences at Michigan Technological University. Dr. Spain started our department in 1962 and served as the first department head from 1962 to 1968. Dr. Spain played a major role in developing a strong curriculum in biological sciences at the B.S. level. He helped offer M.S. and Ph.D. programs in biological sciences in 1965 and 1970, respectively. He initiated interdisciplinary research in aquatic ecology. Dr. Spain was actively engaged in research in biochemistry with a special emphasis on chemical carcinogenesis. He was passionate about developing tools and offering courses in “Computer Applications in Biology”. He received Michigan Tech’s highly prestigious Faculty Research Award in 1965.

Dr. Spain took early retirement from Michigan Tech in 1984 and continued his career, first at Eastern Michigan University as their director of Instructional Computing. Later, at Clemson University in South Carolina, he directed the Chemistry Learning Center. Dr. Spain retired in 2010 and returned to the Copper Country. He recently published his autobiography, Perusing for Pioneer Pathways. We are grateful to Professor Spain for all that he has done for our department. The seed he planted in 1962 has now grown into this majestic tree that has witnessed the graduation of thousands of students since 1963.

This blog post initially appeared in the Fall 2022 Biological Sciences Newsletter. Read this article and others like it today.