Winston Ko Memorial Fund

Support from the Winston Ko Memorial Fund will play a vital role in sustaining research currently being conducted by Professor Taufour's laboratory, where UC Davis undergraduate and graduate students are trained in the design, synthesis, and characterization of new materials with novel physical properties. The materials developed in his lab often serve as a foundation for further investigations by other research groups across the Physics and Chemistry Departments, which extends the impact of the funds.  His work depends on a wide range of consumables and equipment-including chemicals, silica tubes, crucibles, high-purity gases, cryogens, and instrument maintenance-many of which are difficult to forecast or cover through traditional grant mechanisms.  The flexibility provided by the Winston Ko Memorial Fund will enable Professor Tuafour and his students to maintain momentum in their research and training without interruption.

Winston Ko dedicated his entire professional life to UC Davis. He arrived as a postdoctoral scholar in 1970 and became a member of the faculty of the Department of Physics in 1972. He served as department chair from 1998 to 2003 when he was appointed dean of the former Division of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, one of three divisions that constituted the College of Letters and Science at the time. He retired in 2013 after completing two terms as dean and 41 years on the faculty. Since his retirement, Ko continued to have an active presence on campus at symposia and special events, and maintained professional discussions and close friendships with colleagues from many disciplines.