Shoucheng Zhang (1963 – 2018) was born in Shanghai, China and immigrated to Germany and the United States to pursue his dream of studying physics. For 25 years, he was a theoretical physics professor at Stanford University specializing in condensed matter physics. Shoucheng and his collaborators made key advances in the theory and discovery of topological insulators, for which Shoucheng was awarded the Dirac Medal and Prize in 2012, the Physics Frontiers Prize in 2013, and the Benjamin Franklin Medal in 2015.

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In memory of Shoucheng, his family continues to carry on his legacy of promoting physics and nurturing a young generation of scientists. Through partnering with Elevate Tutoring, the Zhang family is excited to invest in the educational dreams of young minds across the Bay Area.

Ivy Hau-Kong Cheng, was born on January 18, 1953 to a family that immigrated from Shanghai to Hong Kong in 1950. Ivy came to the US in 1971 and completed her bachelor and MBA degrees in Math and Statistics at the University of Maryland.Ivy passed away in 2018, but her husband and sons continue her passion to support organizations like Elevate Tutoring that empower women/girls to succeed in STEM and higher education.