Dr. Thomas Tam Scholarship

An immigrant from China, Dr. Thomas Tam received his BA in Physics from City College of New York, MA in Film-Making from Montclair State University, MPH from Columbia University School of Public Health, and Ph.D. in SocioMedical Sciences from Columbia University. An activist in the Asian American community, Dr. Tam initiated the 1971 Chinatown Health Fair and was a founding member of the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center (formerly known as the Chinatown Health Clinic). He was also the first director for Project AHEAD, the oldest continuing health careers training program focusing on Asian American health based in a community health center.

In 1989, Dr. Tam was appointed the first Asian American member of the Board of Trustees at City University of New York. From 2001 to 2008, Dr. Tam was Executive Director of the Asian American/Asian Research Institute, City University of New York.

The Chinatown Health Clinic Foundation, in collaboration with the Dr. Thomas M.S. Tam Foundation, will annually award up to four scholarships of $500 each to honor Dr. Tam's legacy. Recipients will be selected on the basis of their demonstrated commitment to community service, or their potential to serve as community health leaders.

Eligibility

• Seniors anticipating completion of a high school diploma during the academic year in which the application is made
• Seniors planning to pursue a degree at an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution

Selection Criteria & Requirements

• Demonstrated commitment to the applicant’s community
• Application form: https://bit.ly/drthomastam21
• Essay responding to the questions below:
  • What does community mean to you?
  • How have you contributed to your community? Please describe an experience of community involvement.
  • How do you plan to help fulfill your community's needs after you have completed your education?
• Letter of Recommendation

Essays and Letters of Recommendations must be emailed to Anna Wu at anwu@cbwchc.org by Monday, May 31st, 2021 11:59PM. Essays should not exceed 1,000 words, formatted in Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced, and submitted as a PDF or read-only file.