Ming Hsieh, USC Life Trustee, benefactor, and the namesake of the Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at USC, came for the unveiling of his plaque at the department. (Photo/Matthew Yung)
As a child, Ming Hsieh fondly recalls helping his father repair electronic grids in the Chinese countryside. It was the 1970s, and his father was adamant to introduce electricity to a rural village. Hsieh said his experience helping his father work on electrical materials have shaped his early interests in electrical engineering, which eventually paved his beginning as an innovator in the field.
Hsieh, USC Life Trustee, benefactor, and the namesake of the Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at USC, was the featured speaker in the Ming Hsieh Institute’s 2024 Electrical Engineering Pioneer Series Lecture on Oct. 23. The series showcases outstanding members of the USC Electrical Engineering faculty, aiming to capture and memorialize the inspiring journeys and stories of the many individuals who have helped shape and develop the USC ECE department, and the field as a whole, with their enduring technical and societal contributions.
“The personal and professional journeys of USC’s Electrical and Computer Engineering pioneers, educate and motivate all of us, including the next generation of engineers. Ming’s rich life story and his road to becoming an exemplary engineer and entrepreneur who has transformed the world through his technical contributions was truly inspiring,” said Shrikanth “Shri” Narayanan, a USC University professor, holder of the Niki and Max Nikias Chair in Engineering and the Director of the Ming Hsieh Institute, who opened and hosted the event.
From left to right: Professor Richard Leahy; Shri Narayanan, Niki and Max Nikias Chair in Engineering; USC President Carol Folt; Ming Hsieh; and Yannis C. Yortsos, Dean of USC Viterbi. (Photo/Matthew Yung)
A plaque commemorating the occasion was unveiled by USC President Carol Folt.
The Electrical and Computer Engineering department at USC was named in Ming Hsieh’s honor, following his generous $35 million endowment in 2006—at the time the largest donation ever made to name an engineering department in the U.S. Today, he remains as one of the department’s biggest supporters and has continually contributed to the betterment of the program and the field of electrical engineering.
Hsieh, who is also a USC alumnus, was the founder of Cogent Systems, a manufacturer of automated fingerprint identification systems. He is currently the CEO of Fulgent Genetics, a leading genetic testing and molecular information company.
Early Childhood in China During the Cultural Revolution and Transition to USC
In a presentation titled, “From Rural Northeastern China to National Academy of Engineering,” Hsieh shared his experience growing up in China, including his early childhood in the city of Shenyang and his family’s forced relocation to the countryside following an attack on academics during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. His father was an electrical engineer, while his mother was a teacher. During this time, Hsieh’s formal education was forcefully put to a halt.
Ming Hsieh spoke in a room full of faculty and students at the Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. (Photo/Matthew Yung)
“There was no electricity and there was no clean water in the village that we lived in. We had to work from sunrise to sunset,” Hsieh said. “Then my father came with a proposal to bring electricity to the village. This really changed our lives. Instead of working in the field, I helped my father build electrical equipment.”
The experience became Hsieh’s first introduction to the world of electrical engineering. In 1977, Hsieh became part of the first generation of college students to enter university following the end of the Cultural Revolution. He studied semiconductor physics for two years at South China University of Technology before transferring to USC through the help of his uncle, who had also earned his Master’s in Electrical Engineering at USC.
Hsieh noted that he initially struggled with the English language and the American education system, but he was able to overcome it with sheer determination and the support of his professors and peers.
Early Career and Venture into Entrepreneurship and the Biometrics Space
During his time at USC, Hsieh began working at the lab of integrated circuit pioneer Kurt Lehovec. He joined the semiconductor industry as a Design Engineer in January 1985, despite his parents’ wishes for him to stay in school and obtain a Ph.D. After mastering digital circuit design, he opened his own engineering consulting company, AMAX Information Technologies, with two other USC classmates.
“To stay ahead, you must recognize a shift in technology. Don’t shy away from new ideas or challenges,” Hsieh said.
In partnership with another USC classmate, Hsieh founded Cogent Systems in 1990. Under his leadership, Cogent became the worldwide leader in providing law enforcement, military, and commercial enterprises, as well as civil government agencies with large-scale, accurate, and real-time biometric identification services. He built the company from the ground up without relying on debt or bank financing. When the company went public in 2004, its 20.7 million-share offering was one of the most successful initial public offerings of the year. BusinessWeek magazine ranked Cogent number one in its “Best Small Companies 2005” issue.
In 2010, 3M acquired Cogent for approximately $1 billion. Following his success with Cogent, Hsieh pivoted to biotech, where he began to focus more on fighting cancer. He then founded Fulgent Genetics, a full-service genomic testing company and therapeutic development business.
In 2015, Hsieh was elected into the National Academy of Engineering.
Reflecting on his own experiences, Hsieh shared the importance of being persistent and curious to a room full of students, and faculty, hoping to glean insights from his personal and professional journey. He also stressed the importance of giving back to the community and making a positive impact.
“To stay ahead, you must recognize a shift in technology. Don’t shy away from new ideas or challenges,” Hsieh said.
Published on November 20th, 2024
Last updated on November 21st, 2024
