JEAN BEE CHAN, PH.D.

1998

Education

Jean Bee Chan, Lucas Valley resident, is an outstanding educator and mentor. As a professor of mathematics at Sonoma State University since 1973, Dr. Chan has been instrumental in bringing a sense of community and mutual support to the Mathematics Department, which has had an immeasurably beneficial effect on the morale of students and faculty.

Dr. Chan has championed a cause, believing that a firm understanding of mathematics and science is critical to success in our highly technical society. She is committed to providing equal educational opportunities to all. To this end, she established a family scholarship fund for Sonoma State students entering the teaching profession, and founded the Asian Scholarship Endowment Fund which helps send students of Asian descent to college. Dr. Chan is passionately concerned about mathematics education for girls, who tend to lag behind boys in math and science.

Beyond her own community, Dr. Chan is Chair of the Northern California Section of the Mathematical Association of America, involving over 100 mathematics departments in thousands of mathematics faculty and students. She has provided leadership for the Marin Chinese Cultural Group and was a founder of the Asian American Alliance of Marin, which is dedicated to bringing justice and equality to all citizens. As a result of her contributions to the community, Dr. Chan was honored by the Marin County Martin Luther King, Jr., Humanitarian Award in 1996.