Agassiz Professor of Chinese emeritus Pang-hsin Ting 丁邦新 passed away on January 30, 2023. Professor Ting, an internationally renowned linguist, was professor of Chinese linguistics at UC Berkeley from 1989 until 1994. He then moved to Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, where he served as Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.Professor Ting's research made lasting contributions to historical tonal reconstruction as well as the classification of Chinese dialects. His works on Sino-Tibetan linguistics and Austronesian languages remain major references for scholars in the field.
Professor Ting received his Ph.D. from the University of Washington in 1972, where he was a student of the famed linguist Li Fang-kuei. Dr. Ting was elected an Academician of the Academia Sinica in 1986. He spent many years at the Institute of History and Philology there, eventually serving as Deputy Director and then Director. He was President of the International Association of Chinese Linguistics from 1993-94. He is remembered at Berkeley as both a distinguished scholar and beloved teacher.
Professor Ting is survived by his wife Chen Chi陳琦, their three children Tsuo-Wen 佐文, Tsuo-Chi佐齊 and Tsuo-Li 佐立, and their families.