He Engineered a Record at MIT
Deborah Christensen, November 17, 1988
Tue Nguyen, a "boat person" who spoke no English when he fled Vietnam nine years ago, has earned a record seventh degree, a doctorate in nuclear engineering, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Nguyen, 26, is believed to have earned more degrees than any other single alumnus of the school, MIT said. "What else would I do with my free time?" he said, when asked why he pursued so many degrees in his seven years at the school. "I like to read, to learn." Nguyen has five bachelor of science degrees--in physics, computer science and engineering, electrical engineering, mathematics and nuclear engineering -- and a master of science degree in nuclear engineering. He worked three jobs in his first year of school and took up to 12 subjects a semester, an amount one of his professors called "staggering." (The normal course load is four.) The super scholar has accepted a job with IBM in Burlington, Vt., designing new technology for semiconductors and plans to marry another MIT graduate.
http://articles.latimes.com/1988-11-17/news/mn-24_1_nuclear-engineering
From Inquirer Wire Services
POSTED: November 17, 1988
BOSTON — Tue Nguyen did more than nibble from the tree of knowledge. He made a feast of it.
Just nine years after arriving in this country with thousands of other Vietnamese boat people, Nguyen, 26, has earned his seventh degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a doctorate in nuclear engineering. The school says it thinks that's a record for MIT.
Nguyen told the MIT public relations office that he earned multiple degrees ''to get the most out of my time at MIT and out of my tuition."
The super scholar is in Burlington, Vt., this week preparing to start a job at International Business Machines Corp. designing technology for the manufacture of semiconductor devices.
"What else would I do with my free time?" Nguyen said with a laugh when asked by a reporter why he decided to pursue so many degrees. "I like to read, to learn."
It wasn't just tough work in the classrooms, either. "I worked three jobs in the first year," he said, adding that loans and financial-aid programs helped him to raise the money for MIT's steep tuition.
His doctoral adviser, nuclear engineering professor Sidney Yip, said of Nguyen: "You're not likely to find another person like this very often. . . . He's a very quiet guy, very laid back. But, as you can imagine, deep down he has a lot of will power."
While Nguyen has "a great deal of scientific curiosity," Yip said he worries about him. "He has, in some sense, not really known the outside world. He spent most of his time in an academic environment. So how he thrives in the next period of his career will take some adjusting."
Nguyen entered MIT in 1981. By taking up to 12 courses a semester instead of the normal MIT student load of four, he earned his first undergraduate degree in three years and finished four more bachelor's degrees in one more year. He then began his graduate work.
He was so busy attending classes that he had difficulty doing his homework assignments, Yip said.
He holds bachelor's degrees in physics, in computer science and engineering, in electrical engineering, in mathematics, and in nuclear engineering. He got his master's in nuclear engineering in 1986 and finished work on his doctorate in nuclear engineering this fall.
But that was only what he learned at MIT. He also studied English in Texas and Chinese at Harvard, the latter being the language of his fiancee's family.
Nguyen said he had heard of MIT while he was a student in Vietnam. "That's a good school. When I was in Vietnam I had already heard about it, heard it was the best school in the U.S.," he said.
Nguyen and two younger brothers left Vietnam in 1978. His father, a retired government employee, and mother remain in Vietnam with two other sons and a daughter.
After three days at sea packed into a small boat with 300 other refugees, the brothers arrived in Malaysia and spent nine months in a refugee camp. A church group rescued them by sponsoring their passage to Pasadena, Texas, where they moved in with relatives.
Nguyen enrolled at a junior college in the Houston suburb, mainly to learn English. He said it took him between three and six months to master the English language.
At 19, he entered MIT.
His fiancee, whom he met at MIT, will also be taking a job with IBM.
"We're getting married soon," he said. "I think I will stay in Vermont for the time. Vermont is a good place."
Source: http://articles.philly.com/1988-11-17/news/26249071_1_mit-nguyen-nuclear-engineering
18.12.2005
I got a chance to talk to Dr. Tue Nguyen couple of times since he's the uncle of one of my buddies at UC Berkeley (he attended his nephew graduation ceremoney in 2001 at EECS department at Berkeley). He entered MIT in 1982, obtained his first 2 BS degrees in Physics and Maths in 1985. In 1986, he picked up another 3 BS degrees (EE, CS, and Nuclear Engineering). He also picked up his MS in Nuclear Engineering in 1987, and his PhD in Nuclear Engr in 1989 for a total of 7 degrees in 7 years at MIT.
At MIT, he started taking 5 classes/semester. Then he realized he could do more, so he gradually took 8 lasses/semester, then 10 courses/semster. And the maximum load he could handle was 12 upper division courses per semester (for the last 2 semesters in his undergraduate study in 1986). I got a chance to see a part of his transcripts (via his nephew), you got to see to believe it. I saw a series list of 12 classes (all technical ranging from OS, Compiler, Nuclear, Quantum Physics, Abstarct Algrbra...). He told me that since he took so many classes, he didn't have time to do all homeworks of all classes; his only strategy was to sit in front rows in every class to absorb materials as much as he can in class rather than waiting to study at home. Might be God gave this guy a special talent that he can learn very fast, absorb materials (might be not all, but majority part) in class while listening to professors' lecture. He mentioned that at the time he took 12 courses per semester, final exam week was one of his disaster. He had 2 final exams (one in morning, one in evening) every day for almost 6 consecutive days (I don't know how can he study or do anything to prepare for final exams:-). By the way, he said he also had a little hard time at the beginning to persuade the Chair of the department to approve him to take 12 courses/semester, and since then all professors are willing to make necessary arrangements to fit all his 12 final exams in one week and no more than 2 final exams every day.
Right now, he's a very succesful person. He co-counded a company named, Simplus System Corp. in Fremont CA, and lately he sold his company to a public company in Petaluma, and he also accepts a new position to be a Director of one of semiconductor divisions at this new company. He's also the authors/co-authors of more than 50 US patents (20 more are pending) based on his work from 1989-2004. He bought 1-million -dollar house in Fremont CA and live there since 1999. The reason you can't find much documents b/c it's quite long time ago (since 1989). Around 1989,early 1990s, he's very famous w/ lots of interview from TV, major nesapaper. He was honored by President Bush Sr. in 1989 for special academic achivement amd the White House also invited him to attend a dinner party w/ President Bush Sr. in 1989 along w/ other exceptional people in other areas.
Source: http://diendantoanhoc.net/forum/index.php?/topic/9323-danh-nhan-khoa-h%E1%BB%8Dc/
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