SCD's new home and the much beloved BIT building that I lead to completion

https://csumb.edu/magazine/elevating-innovation

Innovation is the key in higher ed and in general economic.  I am very proud that I lead the effort to build the wonderful, innovative, pleasant and sustainable building of Business and Information Technology building at CSUMB.

Now the new Science and Engineering building will be built in a couple of years, SCD will leave BIT and move the new building.  Very sad but we must embrace the change when it is inevitable.

Dr. Eric Tao
Director of School of Computing and Design 2003-2015 (Can't believe that I left the position 4 years ago!!)

Dr. Eric Tao photo 2019

Dr. Eric Tao, photo taken 2019 in Sunnyvale, CA, USA

Startup Challenge Monterey Bay 2019

I hadve the privilege to sponsor the next 10 years of the Student Innovation Cash Award of the Startup Challenge Monterey Bay.  I founded the https://csumb.edu/iied in 2009. I am so proud of the achievements of the team.  The Dr. Tao's Student Innovation Award is my parting gift to the University that I loved and the Monterey Bay region that I enjoy.

https://www.middlebury.edu/institute/news/institute-student-wins-startup-challenge-monterey-bays-student-division

Summer 2019 - many changes in life

Summer 2019 started with an unusual thunderstorm in Carmel.   Have to cancel the end of spring BBQ party at home.

Many changes in life.

• First summer without kids at home, JJ is going to intern with a non profit law firm that help immigrants in SF, DD will work for a real estate investment firm in L.A.
• Mom and Dad’s health is going downhill quickly.  They no longer can live or support themselves.  Without a clear direction from them, we are doing our best.  Huang is exhausted, Hong is taking long leave to take care of them for two months.  I am flying back and forth.
• Big decision to retire from Monterey Bay.  The mission and tasks at the campus defined my career over the last twenty some years.  I am known in Monterey area as the professor and director of computer science.  While since 2015, I have eased out of the position, it is still a big change for me not being the full professor that everyone know.  I felt sad to not having the classroom experience any more, but over the last few years, I already felt it is about time for me to leave.  Over the years, between being a nice guy everyone like to a task master pushing everyone to work hard, I chose the later.  I believe achievement and success is more important then being liked.  As Marcivelli stated in “Prince”, being loved and feared are both desireable, but if a leader has to choose one, choose fear.  He also stated that a leader need to decide when to break rules and be responsible for it.  Over the last twenty years, I am proud of the success we had in the school. We started innovative programs, grew from 100 to over a thousand, get a new building, getting multimillion dollar grands
• Body start to weaken, during a tennis game last Sunday, my right knee start to hurt again.  I limped all week.  Does not bother my work but depressed my spirit.

Traveling Poet

That’s really what I want to do :)

Traveling to different new places and put the fantastic stories that have touched me to poet and novels. - war, tears, laughters, hate, triumph, failure, life, death, and most of all, love.

I hope I can do it before I am too old and fail.

Continue to learn, and re-learn - tennis forehand

Had a good tennis game this morning.  To me, winning is not that important, but winning the set still lifted my spirit a little.  Riding my bike back home under the clear blue Carmel sky.  For a short morning, life is peaceful and rewarding.

Practiced to keep my head still on my forehand and focus on the ball hitting the sweet spot of the racket.  I often mis-hit my forehand shots, now I know it is most because I look at the target instead of the ball.  Checked upon how Federrer do it, with his eyes fixed on the ball thru contact, I learned and practiced it.  Very happy.

Working 14 hours a day - a curse of a blessing

Over the last 20 some years, I've worked about 12-14 hours a day.  While the required work is probably less than 6.  When I was young, I sneered at the workaholics and now I've become one.  The days, weeks, months and years become a race,  on a race track - pushing hard and drive at a furious speed to pass others to gain fame and fortune - without looking at the side window and enjoy the scenery and the people.  All in a circle.

Even though I am leaving MB, I have accumulated so many future projects that I will be busier than ever.  The modest fame and fortune are meaningless to me, yet I can't stop going full speed at 14 hours a day.

Is it a blessing or a curse? I am just too busy to find out.  Alas.

 

 

Graduate passing away of mom and dad - March 24 2019

Rushed home for a week. Didn't do much other than helping mom and dad.  Dad is in the hospital, other than visiting him twice a day and hiring a 24 hour care-taker, there is not much that I could do.  Mom is losing her memory, she will ask the same questions every 3 minutes, and of course, don't know she is repeating herself.  Putting notes everywhere did not help since she is losing her eyesight and don't want to use glasses.  Plus my right ear is plugged up because of the flu.  Burning the candle on three sides!

Mom accumulated over 15 years of documents, brochures, books, newspaper clips, filled a couple rooms.  It took me hours, with help from Ah-Di, to clean the small study room and the guest room.  Many of the papers are stained with mice urine small horribly.  I put most of the book/paper in the backyard, every 5 minutes, mom would go there and pick up a few random stuff and put them in the study.  I would move them again to the backyard - this will repeat 10s of times in a day.  But when someone is losing her memory, there is no use of teaching or getting angry, since she will remember nothing.

Next year have to get flu shot, the sneezing and coughing is bad enough, I can't stand my right ear is plugged up, I start to realize, the hearing is as important as the seeing. 

Try to bring mom to take a walk every day, she enjoyed it, especially combined with shopping for breakfast.

Sis is going back to stay with mom for three months, really appreciate it.  The younger brother has cut all communication with us, demand each one of use send him $1,7 million NT and help mom and pop for 15 years before we contact him or his wife.  Not very happy.  Especially when the wife insult the older brother, that really enraged me.  I just have to treat her like an ingorant kid and let my anger aside to deal with the issues.

Uphill battle to the Valley

Got a good advice today on how to control the way I express myself.  The message might be correct, but the way we express it might catch the effect that is not desirable.
We can be firm, clear but nice.

Learn it and practice it!

国际医药大学 = 千年传承 + 硅谷科技

国际医药大学 = 千年传承 + 硅谷科技

University of East-West Medicine

= Chinese Tradition + Silicon Valley Innovation

国际医药大学，传承中国几千年历史的伟大中医中药成就及天人合一的理念；在过去20多年中，在硅谷，结合全球化，科技化，全力创新的精神；用最优秀的师资，最现代的教学方法，最可负担的学费，为加州旧金山湾区造就培养了上千名悬壶救世，中西并用，具有国际医药大学特色的中医师人才。

中医在中国已有几千年的历史，经过无数的临床实践证实，中国的中医中药无论是在治病方面，防病方面，还是在健康养生方面，都是疗效显著确凿的。到了近代，随着西方自然科学和哲学的发展，西方医学的思维方式和科学研究方法造成了对中医学的权威挑战。这个时候中医学届该如何应对呢？我们认为中医不仅是一种文化，它还是一门自成体系的科学。因为它是一门医学科学，我们必须要接受科学手段的检验，才能验证中医药的治疗效果。因为它是科学，我们必须要不断的推进和论证老祖宗传下来的中医理论，用科学的方法，进步的仪器，创新的精神，不断的去其糟粕取其精华，才能够让老祖宗的中医在现代的社会，全球化的市场，良性健康的向前发展，不断的推向下一个发展高峰。

最近在美国，已经有许多的研究和临床证明，针灸在解决我们身体不同部位的疼痛上有明显的疗效；越来越多的美国人，已经了解和认识到西医头痛医痛脚痛医脚的局限性，开始使用自然疗法及中医理论来帮助他们解除西医没有办法医治的疾病及痛楚。去年特朗普政府，也开始推动联邦政府可以用健康保险给付针灸的医疗。

为什么中医现代化，科技化的进展缓慢呢？中医界总是在为“现代化，科学化”争论不休；而能推动“中医现代化”的人才很少，所以进展非常缓慢；最重要的是中医学界的战略家太少，提不出高屋建瓴的建议。能与时俱进用长远发展的战略眼光来运筹帷幄、运用科技，学贯中西的高端人才十分缺乏。 中医如何现代化？人才是关键！我们一定要培养大量的具有独立思辨能力，积极倡导和推进中医现代化敢于创新的中医人才。

我们国际医药大学多年来立足发展完善中医硕士，太极气功硕士，博士学位的教学培养体系。国际医药大学，就是要在中医，西医，科技, 实证之间，建立桥梁。用最新的科技和研究方法，来推动发展中医中药的创新和中医文化的创新。学校附设的医疗中心，也造福了美国硅谷的众多患者，也带给学校同学们一个绝佳的理论联系实际的实习机会。

我们相信国际医药大学，可以造就更多的中医医生及中医研究人才，用硅谷的创新理念，立足全球化，科技化，让中医中药文化思想精髓发扬光大，为全世界人民找出一条更好的治病、防病，养生的康庄大道，为人类的幸福福祉事业增砖添瓦，为推动人类社会的可持续性发展贡献我们的医学价值！

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陶博士，加州大学尔湾分校计算机工程哲学博士。他在加大的研究，推动了美国用大数据及人工智能诊断癌症的进程。 在参加国际医药大学之前，他在加州州立大学任教研究多年，包括教学计算机，创新创业，大数据各个种课程。 他并在加州州大成立了计算机学院及创新学院。他也曾应邀为台湾政府卫生研究院建立了线上教育系统。 解决了当年在SARS大量流行时，全岛公共卫生教育的训练问题 。除了在教学，管理，研究外，他经常为了美国WASC审查大学的大学认证，也经常应邀到全世界各大学演讲，包括中山，北大，清华。