Dr. Yong Lang Family Endowment
Dr. Yong Lang was a renowned professor of Linguistics and English as a Second Language studies at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). He was an active scholar, contributing to dictionaries, textbooks, journal articles and books on linguistics as well as being a generous reviewer and editor. His most important work is Grammar and the Chinese ESL learner: A Longitudinal Study on the Acquisition of the English Article System, which was published by Cambria Press in 2010. Dr. Lang was also honored as a Distinguished Overseas Professor and Guest Professor by several Chinese universities.
At UTRGV, Dr. Lang laid the foundation for the minor in Asian Studies and was the founding president of the Chinese Student and Scholar Association. A devoted and beloved teacher, Dr. Lang enjoyed bonding with his students over their work. Later in his career, Dr. Lang expanded his interests to facilitating greater understanding between cultures. In 2009, he helped establish sister university agreements between UTRGV and several Chinese universities, starting with Hengyang Normal University in China, to support an exchange of teaching and research across campuses (Obituary of Yong Lang, 2019).
Dr. Lang once said that "Globalization shouldn't be an empty word. For students to go outside the Rio Grande Valley and travel to places like China... it is transformational."
The Yong Lang Family Endowment
In memory of Dr. Lang, the family has established the "Yong Lang Family Endowment" at UTRGV to support future students.
Gifts to this endowment can be made online at:
https://give.utrgv.edu/yong-lang-family-endowment
Your gifts will be a long-term strategic investment that will provide a permanent stream of support for UTRGV students in honor of Dr. Yong Lang. His legacy will live on, while providing permanent support for UTRGV. Your gift is invested through The University of Texas Investment Management Company and each year a distribution is made to your chosen program or area at UTRGV.
We rely on the generosity of our students, faculty, alumni, and friends to help us turn our ideas into reality. Gifts of any amount are deeply appreciated.