Dr. Lan Jin, professor emeritus and an early faculty member of the Department of Computer Science, passed away on Oct. 1, in Beijing, China. He was 98 years old.

Jin earned his doctoral degree in electrical engineering from the Moscow Electrical Engineering Institute. After graduation, he joined Tsinghua University, widely regarded as the most prestigious university in China. He established a parallel-computing program and mentored numerous students who became leading computer scientists in China and abroad, shaping industry and education.

In 1989, Jin joined the Department of Computer Science and applied his successful experience from Tsinghua University to build a strong parallel-computing program, fostering local talent in the field. During his tenure at Fresno State, he earned several prestigious NSF awards.
 
Many of his former colleagues and students have strong praise for Jin. Dr. Brent Auernheimer, a professor emeritus of the department, said “Dr. Jin established a transputer laboratory for parallel architectures and programming. His expertise and collaboration affected many students.” 

Dr. Alex Liu joined the department during the final stage of Jin’s career. Although the time he spent with Jin was limited, he expressed strong gratitude for his mentoring and care.

“Dr. Jin, along with other retired and senior colleagues, greatly contributed to shaping my career at Fresno State. He will be greatly missed,” Liu said.

Dr. Lan Yang, a computer science professor at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, recalled that Jin was a great mentor and collaborator. They co-hosted an NSF workshop at Fresno State and co-authored several publications. “his dedication and commitment to research and teaching cast lifelong inspiration on me,” Yang said.

He is survived by his daughter, Dr. Bo Hatfield; his son, Yong Jin, and daughter-in-law, Lei Zhang; five granddaughters, Clare Jin, Jinna Hatfield, Jennifer Jin, Stephanie Jin, and Charlotte Jin; and a long list of close friends. A memorial was held in China.

After his retirement, Jin established a scholarship to sponsor promising computer science students. The family asks that donations be made to Dr. Jin’s scholarship. Contact the Department of Computer Science by calling 559.278.4373 for more details.