Psychology
professor’s work, recognized at
Lunar New Year
By
Mellani Lubuag
Online Forty-Niner
Assistant News Editor
To kick off the new semester and the Lunar New Year John Jung, professor emeritus
of psychology, was honored Wednesday at the Karl Anatol Center by colleagues,
students, and the Asian Pacific Island Network (APIN).
Jung was honored for his 40 years of service at Cal State University Long Beach.
Jung has published eight books and countless journal articles. He was the recipient
of the Outstanding Scholarly Achievement Award in 1983 and a Western
Psychological Association Fellow in 1995. He has also just recently secured
a grant for the psychology department.
“
When we were talking about whose work should we honor, his name camp up,” APIN
Chairman Ferdinand Arcinue said. “He was the unanimous choice for everyone.”
Jung was chosen for the positive impact he has had on students, his commitment
to giving students scholarships and the prestige he has brought to the campus,
Arcinue said.
Arcinue said Jung’s value as a mentor has been expressed by several McNair
Scholars, a program he once helped coordinate that mentors low income students
who are the first in their families to attend college or come from underrepresented
groups so they may pursue graduate studies.
“
I would not be here if not for his influence in my life,” said Gene Ano,
a former student of Jung.
During the ceremony Ano recalled his life as a rough and tumble kid before
he had met Jung as a sophomore. He said Jung inspired him to pursue his doctorate.
“
I think he helped me believe in myself. He saw something in me that I didn’t
see myself,” said Ano, who is currently a psychologist at CSULB Department
of Counseling and Psychologist Services.
Jung’s most recent work, “Southern Fried Rice: Life in A Chinese
Laundry in the Deep South,” is an autobiographical account of his experience
immigrating and adjusting to life in Georgia and later San Francisco from Taishan,
China.
“
I started thinking about my parents and the lives that they led and how that
affected me,” Jung said.
His efforts have led to the publication of his memoir as well as insight into
the Chinese American experience in the South.
APIN, a staff and faculty association aimed at developing and promoting activities
that support academic and professional development within the university community,
hosted the event honoring Jung.
“
A lot of times people do great work where they contribute a lot to society
or a company—or in this case a university—but they don’t
call attention to themselves,” Arcinue said.
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