The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Office of Global Engagement Division of Research, Graduate Studies & New Program Development
Dr. Yong Lang Family Endowment Scholarship
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.
The Office of Global Engagement established this scholarship to honor Dr. Lang's memory and to advance his vision for Chinese Studies at UTRGV. Professor Lang's vision and hard work helped introduce Chinese studies at UTPA, UTRGV’s legacy institution, and also promoted Chinese studies at UTRGV as well as establish relationships between multiple universities in China and UTRGV, all of which directly enhances globalization at our institution.
This scholarship will provide financial support to UTRGV students engaged in Chinese Studies or languages, and, students from China enrolled at UTRGV regardless of their major. Students must
- Be enrolled full time (at least 12 credit hours for undergraduate and 9 credit hours for graduate) and
- Have a minimum cumulative institutional GPA of 3.0 to be considered.
The scholarship is for $1,000 to be applied towards tuition and will be awarded in a competitive process. Students can apply for the scholarship only once per academic year. The scholarship will take effect in the academic year following the award.
To apply, students need to:
- Click on this link and go to the UTRGV Scholarship Application page https://enrollment.utrgv.edu/applyscholarships
- Log in and search for the Dr. Lang Scholarship
- Complete the required information.
- Write a 3,000 word maximum essay on your academic accomplishments and career goals.
- Provide a letter of recommendation from a UTRGV professor who can judge the application’s commitment to Chinese Studies, academic abilities, or both.
Student applications will be reviewed by a committee of UTRGV faculty members and the Office of Global Engagement.