Academician Ying-Nan Chiu died of pneumonia on July 18, 2009 at the Holy Cross Hospital, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA at the age of 77.

Academician Chiu graduated from Berea College in the USA, and then received his M.A. and Ph.D. from Yale University. He had taught at the Catholic University of America since 1964, serving as Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor in the Department of Chemistry, Chairman of the Department of Chemistry, and as Professor Emeritus.

Academician Chiu was a world-famous physical chemist. He received many awards and honors for his achievements and contributions, including the Hillebrand Prize, Chemical Society of Washington (1984); Fellow of the American Physical Society, U.S.A.(1986); Academician of Academia Sinica, R.O.C.(1986); and Patrick O’Brien Scholar (2000-2001), among others.