NCKU Professor Rue-Ron Hsu's Astronomical Research Acknowledged: Honored with Asteroid Naming upon Retirement-國立成功大學永續發展SDGs

Professor Rue-Ron Hsu of the Department of Physics at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) has served the university for 34.5 years, earning recognition for his teaching, astronomical research, service, and student guidance. Professor Hsu is set to retire in February, and the Department of Physics recently held a farewell ceremony in his honor, conferring upon him the title of Honorary Professor. Central University admires Professor Hsu's dedication and achievements in space research and, in recognition, has named asteroid 611070, discovered at the Lulin Observatory, after him, designating it as "Hsurueron." Director Lin Hong-Chin personally presented the asteroid plaque on the day of the ceremony, expressing the highest respect.


Asteroid Hsurueron, numbered 611070, was discovered on July 21, 2006, by Dr. Lin Hong-Chin of Central University's Lulin Observatory and Dr. Yeh Chyuan-Chih of the University of Maryland, USA. It is located in the main asteroid belt, with an orbital semi-major axis of 2.349 astronomical units, approximately 350 million kilometers, and an orbital period of 3.6 years. The naming of asteroid Hsurueron by Central University has been approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).


At the heartwarming farewell ceremony, where he was conferred the title of Honorary Professor and received an asteroid plaque bearing his name, Professor Rue-Ron Hsu was filled with joy, feeling profoundly grateful for his days at NCKU, which he described as "truly happy." Looking back on his journey, he expressed gratitude to Professor Yang Wei-Bang for his guidance during graduate school and appreciated the support and camaraderie of colleagues in the Department of Physics. He thanked the academic research team for their collective achievements and the professors and assistants for their efforts in promoting science education in Tainan. He also expressed gratitude to NCKU's counseling team for enabling him to support students through challenging times.


Professor Rue-Ron Hsu emotionally reflected on his teaching, research, and service over the past 34.5 years as he approaches retirement, considering his mission accomplished and looking forward to contributing further as an adjunct instructor in the department's teacher training program and as a volunteer at the College of Science's Science Education Center.


Graduating from Central University in 1976, Professor Rue-Ron Hsu joined NCKU's Department of Physics in August 1978, where he dedicated himself to teaching, research, service, and student guidance with sincerity, selflessness, and perseverance. The Department of Physics recommended conferring the title of Honorary Professor, which was approved by the University's Faculty Evaluation Committee. At the retirement ceremony, Professor Luo Guang-Yao, the department chair, personally presented the certificate of Honorary Professorship.


Professor Rue-Ron Hsu's significant contributions in teaching, research, and service include:
- Winning consecutive years of funding from the Ministry of Education's Teaching Practice Program and receiving recognition for an outstanding teaching research project that integrated lectures, demonstrations, and thematic experiments in introductory physics courses.

- Leading the scientific mission of the Imager of Sprites and Upper Atmospheric Lightning (ISUAL) aboard the Formosat-2 satellite from the mission application in 1998 until its conclusion in 2017. Under his leadership, the team executed this national-level scientific mission and published several important papers, including one in the journal "Nature," significantly advancing the understanding of transient luminous events in the upper atmosphere.

- Establishing NCKU's College of Science Science Education Center, which has become a major hub for science education in southern Taiwan. Under his leadership, the center has served over 100,000 people. As vice dean of the College of Science, he promoted modular courses and interdisciplinary teaching and learning, contributing significantly to the university's curriculum reform efforts.