Six years, Angela. I still can't believe it's been that long. I often think about all those conversations we had when work was driving us crazy. We talked through every flare-up, every impossible situation, and all those days when it felt like nothing we did was ever enough. Somehow, we always managed to laugh about it. 

A year after you left, my sweet Aiden, my charming 16-year old boy,  was tragically killed. The grief was deeper than I ever thought possible. I miss my son every moment of every day. A year later, I was diagnosed with cancer—and I now know what you went through with yours. Life is tough. There are so many days I wish I could pick up the phone and hear your voice.

You'd probably be amused to know that work is still every bit as contentious as ever. The difference is that I've learned to tolerate it. In the end, it doesn't really matter. I'm still here, and I'm grateful for the life I have and the gifts it still brings.

And if you find my Aiden, please tell him you're Mom's friend. He's a funny kid with a beautiful smile and a big heart. Look for a big heart—that's how you'll find him. I think the two of you would get along just fine. I miss you, my friend.

Dear Angela. At work today, one of our colleagues acknowledged you in his presentation about the project that we worked on together to support student success in engineering; you were one of the Co-PIs (this was part of that NSF project). I am glad you are still remembered. No one can match the energy and vigor you brought to helping students and your own colleagues. I miss you, my friend. I will visit you soon—to place your favorite scented flowers. Thank you, Angela, for the beauty that you gave to this world.

Truly shocked and saddened to find out Dr. Shih was taken away from us so soon.  As a young immigrant student from a foreign land, Dr. Shih always went the extra mile to help me with course work and let me camp outside her office so I can get every single question answered. She never ran out of patience and continued to explain things until I understood them - I owe her so much for everything I've accomplished today. She was a great mentor as well: when I pondered going into a field she knew I wouldn't be good at, she encouraged me to understand my weaknesses and focus on my strengths. That piece of advice has shaped my life ever since and I'm forever grateful. My deepest condolences to the family of Dr. Shih - she was truly an amazing professor and made such a big difference in our lives. Rest in peace professor.

I just found out this sad news. She was absolutely my favorite teacher during my undergrad years 1998 to 2002.  Her ability to explain things so well, she had an amazing talent for explaining and showing how things were relevant.   Her mentoring was also excellent.  We all loved her.  Very sad news.

It’s such devastating news to learn from a friend of Angela’s passing!   Knew her while working at Cal Poly Pomona and often went to lunch and chatted throughout my tenure at CPP and beyond.  She was the most  dedicated, ethical and intelligent human being I have encountered.  My heartfelt condolences to the family.  I can only imagine what a huge loss it must have been to you all.  My heart goes out to you and will keep you all in my prayers.  

Angela lives on in my memory.  

I am deeply saddened by Angela's passing. A few years ago Angela generously allowed my students and me to use the fastest computer in her department to run some computationally intensive simulations. The work was later published in a peer-reviewed journal. Angela, your help is forever appreciated. May you rest in peace.

I am saddened to hear about Angela's passing.  I first had the opportunity to meet Angela through the CSU Course Redesign project.  I greatly respected Angela's vision and leadership and the work that she and the ME faculty at Cal Poly Pomona were doing on videos for enhancing student learning.  When I became department chair of mechanical engineering at Cal State LA, Angela was a wonderful chair colleague and mentor.  My condolences to her loved ones.

I am deeply saddened by the loss that you have encountered. Angela and I met in the executive committee meeting at Cal Poly Pomona almost every week for about a year. She was kind and sharp and got to the point. We were also thinking of working on a collaborative project together. I miss her as a friend and a colleague.  May she rest in peace.

I still could not believe that it is true that Angela has left us to another realm. I hope she is there with peace and joy. 

There were so many good memories of her. I am truly thankful that she had belief in me and the vision of technology in education. She has helped me so much in my career and we had a lot of good laughters together. She’s done so much for the department, her colleagues and the students. It was a great loss for all of us. 

My condolences to Angela’s family. I’m very sorry for your loss. 

Dr. Shih was a dedicated faculty, chair and advocate for her students as well as Women in Engineering. She always advocated the use of new technologies to work with students and embraced the hard work that came with being the first in line to do something out of the box. May she rest in peace. My condolences to her family and loved ones.

This is Frank Wei, Angela’s husband.  It is hard to find words to express my gratitude. Thanks to everyone who comes to the graveside services to say farewell to Angela.  Thanks to everyone who writes to shares her/his memories with Angela.  It bought me tears when I read the memories you wrote.  Thanks to everyone who texted me, emailed me, called me and send me cards wishing me to be strong and offering me condolences and supports.  Angela and I and our family are surrounded by your love, prayers, and caring thoughts.  I cannot thank you enough for all I received. 

Angela, my wife, my love and my soul mate. I love you and you are in my heart forever.  I know you just travel to our new place first.  On the day I leave this world, you will come to greet me and we will unite and be together forever.   I miss you so much everyday.  


To the family of Dr. Angela Shih.  Dr. Shih supported our Maximizing Engineering Potential (MEP) Engineering during my employment from 2003 - 2017 when I retired. She was very helpful, respectful and cheerful no matter the circumstance. She would always greet me with a hug. Our last hug was last year in front of the new Administration Building.  What a great loss to ME and CPP.
R.I.P. in Dr. Shih. 
Love you always and God Bless.


This past year, I worked closely with Dr. Shih for the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) at Cal Poly Pomona. Although it was her first year as an advisor for the organization, she was beyond familiar with supporting students. To say Dr. Shih cared for SWE is an understatement; She dedicated her time to our educational and professional development. She advocated for us to ensure we were served equitably on campus. She aspired to advance our SWE section and developed plans for us to achieve more than we ever imagined we were capable of.

In my own personal situations, Dr. Shih always shared a fresh perspective that ultimately gave me the insight and confidence to address my obstacles. In one case, during WE19 last fall, the largest annual conference for women engineers, I felt discouraged that I wasn’t receiving any offers, mostly due to my GPA. Dr. Shih reassured me of my skills and abilities, and guided me in communicating them to recruiters. I am currently part of an internship program this summer because of her.

While she was a fearless and powerful individual who led by example, to me she truly embodied the definition of compassion. I admired the way she effortlessly connected with everyone she encountered and the way she fostered each relationship. I’ve only known Dr. Shih for less than a year, but within that short amount of time, I am blessed to have met someone who made a lifelong impact on me.

There are not enough words to express my appreciation for her, nor my sorrow for her passing.

Angela, you are my god sister and my best friend. We grew up together in Taiwan, and I was so grateful that our families both ended up living here in Southern California.

I relied on you for everything. You were my advisor, my therapist, and sometimes my personal shopper. You were always there to help anyone and everyone, but you would never ask for help in return — even when you got sick. You are a philanthropist and a warrior. You taught me and my daughters how to be strong and stand up for ourselves. You were my unwavering rock who told me what I needed to hear, even if I didn’t want to hear it. You were my shoulder to cry on. 

I can not imagine my life without you. I love you. I miss you so much, Angela.

I just found out this moment of Dr. Shih's passing. She was a great person to work with I enjoyed her presence and personality.  I was looking forward to greeting her in her return to the University campus.

(Part 2)
Over the years, we collaborated on so many projects and talked for so many hours on how to improve the student experience. I can still picture her sitting across from my desk while we planned the next big project. One of my fondest memories of Angela was when we planned a large multi-disciplinary grant proposal while carpooling to the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the cell-phone signal with potential collaborators cutting out frequently as we drove through the desert. It was never a dull moment with Angela.

Angela had an enormous heart and was always there to listen. When my mom passed away several months after that trip to Las Vegas, we talked for hours about how to deal with losing loved ones. I could always count on Angela to be there when I needed her… she was like an older sister.

In addition to caring for colleagues, Angela cared deeply about helping students both academically and personally. She was a pioneer in communicating with students, being in constant contact through email and whatever technology students were using at that moment. Many students felt comfortable opening up to her about very personal matters. Multiple times I saw students leave her office in tears as they shared the details of a difficult situation with her. 

I know someone truly impacted my life if my first instinct is to reach out to that person to share a piece of good news or to work out an idea. In the weeks following Angela’s passing, I’ve had experienced this feeling several times. My friend, my sounding board, is gone, and I have to reckon with the fact that this is my new reality. 

I looked forward to hearing about her adventures after Cal Poly Pomona and to share ideas for decades to come. She had so much more to give to this world… I will truly miss my friend.

(Part 1... there is 2000 character limit)
Angela was a mentor, colleague, and good friend for the past decade. I’ve put off writing this memorial for a couple weeks because there is so much I want to say and don’t know where to start. Whatever I write will never come close to truly expressing the loss that I feel. 

I first met Angela on April 11, 2011. I remember the exact date because on that day I arrived at Cal Poly Pomona for an on-campus interview seeking a faculty position. I was a 30-year-old post-doc, full of excited, nervous energy. The first person I met was Angela, who would be my chaperone that day. Many details have been lost to time, but I definitely remember Angela’s personality. She was very welcoming and friendly, and very animated. In the years to come, I would grow accustomed to and appreciate Angela’s boundless energy and forthright attitude – as one colleague put it, she was "unapologetically Angela." She was a fearless fighter for what she saw as morally right.

In retrospect, I was incredibly lucky to land in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Cal Poly Pomoma at that particular moment in time. Angela was in the same field (thermal-fluids) and we both were highly interested in leveraging technology to improve education. Angela became Chair at the end of my first year, a position she would hold for the next eight years until her passing. In that role, she made it her mission to ensure junior faculty (like myself) were supported in whatever way she could. She took it upon herself to look for grants that matched our interests, advocated for us on campus, and visited our offices frequently to check on us. At the same time, she provided very important guidance on how to navigate the politics of a university setting. Much of my success thus far is directly attributable to her influence.

Angela  was a bright light at Cal Poly Pomona. A wonderful colleague who treated everyone with kindness and respect. I was in awe of her intelligence and passion for student development.  She was  chair of mechanical engineering and lead developer of the STEAM Academy which aimed to teach high school students technology through hands-on learning.  I will miss our conversations about STEAM and engineering as Angela inspired me in so many ways. Angela was intelligent, humble and a beautiful person. I will miss her leadership and impact that she so graciously shared with me and all those who knew her.

When Dr. Shih was considering becoming Department Chair she came to talk with me as I was transitioning out of that role after many years. Among other things I told her you will never keep all your faculty happy but you can make a difference in the life of the students. By all accounts she did that and much more.

I am so saddened by the loss of Angela, my friend and colleague who taught me so much about equity and student success.  She was a tireless advocate for students.  She led by example, and showed me how to be bold and reach across real and imagined boundaries to better serve our students.  I will cherish the lessons and time I shared with her, often in the company of Phyllis.  I am grateful for our meals and teas, and most especially our time exploring New Orleans.  Rest in power my sweet, fierce and loving friend.  Gone too soon.


I owe a lot to Dr. Shih... I was not the best student on paper, but I desperately sought to enter her program in mechanical engineering, although I did not meet the qualifications. Dr. Shih was one of the few people who believed in me and my potential as an engineer, looking past my mediocre grades and taking the time to understand how my brain works. Dr. Shi vouched for me and admitted me into her program, from which I graduated in 2016. After completing my MSME, she hired me as a part-time faculty member while I looked for a career.   I eventually found a great job as a mechanical engineer in the semiconductor industry. I could not have done it without Dr. Shi. Rest in power. 

Dr. Shih was truly a great department chair during my time in undergrad at CPP Mechanical Engineering. She always did her best to make her self approachable, available, and was always on the students side trying to get more resources and classes for the department. Dr Shih made my experience at CPP much greater, and I'm truly thankful for the brief time I knew her. I hope her family can find solace in this tragic loss, and I want them to know she was an honored faculty member in the CPP community.

The first time I met Dr. Shih was when she spoke at a CPP WE Chat my first year. I had went to the event alone, unsure if engineering was even for me and hoping to find some inspiration from wiser faculty. Inspiration was exactly what I got. I can only vaguely remember what topic she was speaking on but I vividly remember the passion Dr. Shih addressed us with. She let us know that it was okay to doubt our path but to remember that we were bright, the future of engineering was bright, and that there was so much that women in engineering could bring to the field. That was the first time I remember feeling that no matter what it took, I was going to graduate and become an engineer. Every time I spoke to her after that day I would leave with my determination renewed, feeling that same joy and passion that she so effortlessly radiated.

It was apparent to everyone she encountered how deeply she cared for the well-being and success of the department, faculty, and students at CPP. Her job wasn’t an easy one but I can’t remember a single story involving Dr. Shih that didn’t end with her getting the job done effectively and gracefully. It’s hard to imagine CPP ME without Dr. Shih but I know her legacy will be carried on in lives and work of the faculty and students she touched. She will be dearly missed.

Dr. Shih, 

I only got to really meet you my final semester at CPP but it felt like we had known each other for so long. I loved going into your office just to talk about my future plans and you gave me the motivation to really push forward during my final semester. You were so inspiring and had a big heart that was seen by everyone. I wish I could show you what I’ve done since graduation because I couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you for everything Dr. Shih.

Angela Shih it seemed used to always be on top of everything! She was amazing at her job and she was incredibly funny and light hearted. She will be missed and my condolences as one of the many students she had an impact on. May she Rest In Peace. 

Angela was such an intelligent, creative, caring and strong lady. I still remember the days when Angela and I were young and sitting side by side, brainstorming about an online education project. She was a pioneer with an amazing purpose-driven vision. It gravely saddens me that the world has lost such a passionate and dedicated educator. She will be in my sincerest prayers to reach the Western Pure Land. Amitabha!

彌陀讚 Amitabha Praise
阿彌陀佛身金色 
相好光明無等倫 
白毫宛轉五須彌 
紺目澄清四大海 
光中化佛無數億 
化菩蕯眾亦無邊 
四十八願度眾生 
九品咸令登彼岸 
南無西方極樂世界
大慈大悲阿彌陀佛
Amitabha's body is the color of gold,
The splendor of his hallmarks has no peer;
The light of his brow shines around a hundred worlds,
Wide as the seas are his eyes pure and clear.
Shining in his brilliance by transformation
Are countless Bodhisattvas and infinite Buddhas.
His forty-eight vows will be our liberation,
In nine lotus stages we reach the farthest shore.
Homage to the Buddha of the Western Pure Land,
Kind and Compassionate Amitabha
Homage to the Buddha of the Western Pure Land,
Kind and Compassionate Amitabha
Homage to the Buddha of the Western Pure Land,
Kind and Compassionate Amitabha.

For my dear friend, Angela, the lady warrior .  . .

"Peace, my heart, let the time for the parting be sweet.
Let it not be a death but completeness.
Let love melt into memory and pain into songs.
Let the flight through the sky end in the folding of the wings over the nest.
Let the last touch of your hands be gentle like the flower of the night.
Stand still, O Beautiful End, for a moment, and say your last words in silence.
I bow to you and hold up my lamp to light you on your way."

~Rabindranath Tagore (1913, in The Gardener)

Angela was a true mentor to me. She recruited me from UCLA to teach at CPP when I was a grad student and I always admired her strength and forward-looking mentality. Over the past 6 years, she showed compassion by looking after all of the junior faculty in our department and we all greatly appreciated it. I was always struck at how willing she was to go above and beyond the call of duty. She often offered me helpful advice both professionally and personally, which I really valued. I am terribly saddened to have lost such an influential mentor in my life, yet simultaneously relieved to know that she is no longer in pain. 

I will miss Angela dearly.

OBITUARY

Angela Chao-Hsuan Shih

July 7, 1967 – June 6, 2020

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Angela Chao-Hsuan Shih

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