The Thomas Tam Scholarship is funded by an endowment established by the City University of New York in recognition of Dr. Thomas Tam’s contributions as a former member of the CUNY Board of Trustees, founding Executive Director of the Asian American / Asian Research Institute, and leadership in the Asian American community. The Scholarship awards $1,000 to an individual qualified undergraduate student that is currently enrolled at any of the twenty-one colleges within CUNY, Asian or non-Asian, who has demonstrated creativity in the communication of the concerns of the Asian American community in areas such as health, education, culture, media, or advocacy/activism.
2025 Scholarship Recipient
Jiale Lin (LaGuardia Community College)
Project: Soundscapes of Wellbeing
For their project, Jiale Lin, a sophomore at LaGuardia Community College, addresses a critical but often overlooked public health crisis: chronic noise pollution in New York City’s Asian American community hubs. Focusing on neighborhoods like Flushing and Chinatown—which are frequently exposed to intense noise from transit hubs and construction—Jiale’s work bridges the gap between environmental science and community advocacy.
By adapting advanced mathematical algorithms and acoustic sensors, the project translates “invisible” noise data into accessible health toolkits and bilingual resources. Jiale’s interdisciplinary approach identifies the direct links between urban noise and cardiovascular risks, such as hypertension and stress, providing a vital roadmap for protecting the long-term physical and mental health of NYC’s vibrant Asian American communities.
Application Guidelines
2025 Scholarship Online Application Form
All currently enrolled CUNY undergraduate students are eligible to apply for the Thomas Tam Scholarship.
Display of communication of the concerns of the Asian American community can be in the form of written reports, film, video, new media techniques, and the development of performances or materials in the arts and sciences.
The following are the issues to be addressed in your application for the Tam Scholarship. Please be sure to cover all of the points in your application.
- Please describe your project in detail, be sure to tell us about the issue of concern to the Asian American community that the project is designed to address.
- Please explain how your project demonstrates creativity in communicating the concerns of Asian Americans in areas such as health, education, culture, media and advocacy.
- What are the objectives or goals of the project, i.e. what do you want to accomplish, or what impact or effect will it have? How will you know that it has been successful?
- How was the project implemented, or if in progress or a future project, please describe how it will be implemented?
- Is the project completed, is it in progress or is it a future project? (Note: Uncompleted/future projects will only receive partial scholarship award until they are completed.)
Please submit your application using the online form by Monday, January 26, 2026. If your pdf or zip file exceeds 5 MB, you can use file hosting services such as WeTransfer.com and email it to info@aaari.info. In the email subject header, type “2025 Tam Scholarship Submission.”
Scholarship Committee: Trang Le-Chan & Ellen Lai
Coordinator: William Tam
