Foreword
Engineers are often viewed as primarily left-brainers; not so with Professor Danny Liu. He is one of those with both sides of the brain operating exceptionally well. Danny was well-trained in mechanical and aerospace engineering, having earned a B.S. degree in Taiwan, a Master’s degree in the U.S., and a Ph.D. degree in the U.K. He then had a demonstrable career in leading aircraft corporations before embarking on his career in academia as a professor at Arizona State University. He was also a founder of a very successful start-up offering specialized services to the aerospace industry internationally. His academic and industrial accomplishments are highly acclaimed, as evidenced by the awards and honors he has received. However, as early as his college days, he had already exhibited his musical talents as a university symphony violinist. He launched Taipei’s first string quartet when he was 19 years old and the National Taiwan University String Orchestra when he was 20 years old. On the other hand, his flair for art and drawings was also evident as he first mounted a joint exhibit when he was an undergraduate. His works included drawing, watercolor, oil and etching.
Danny is a man in search of beauty and knowledge from multiple angles. The aerospace engineering discipline exemplarily practiced by Danny calls for curiosity , conjecture and creativity, combined with logic and known facts, to push for discoveries in the novel structures in mathematical formulae and practical implementation. As he has demonstrated, a musical composition requires one’s imagination to realize the little dots in a score as resonated by one’s inner voice; the brushes in painting represent an artist’s inspiration and boldness in pursuit of aesthetic expression.
As a Professor Emeritus of the Arizona State University, Danny has revived his earlier artistic interests, first, by establishing a studio in Danshui, nearby Taipei, and then, exhibiting landscapes paintings by him and his late father in Taipei in 2014. Underneath his brushstrokes sweeping across the open sky of Arizona and misty mountains of Taiwan, an appreciative and inquisitive personality beams through.
I am often impressed by the breadth and depth of Danny’s pursuits, and his enthusiasm to venture beyond confines. There is only one world and one culture: segregation of disciplines between arts and sciences is unnecessary. His ability to have different and interesting chapters in life also enlightens our mind, expands our senses, and opens our eyes to the astounding possibilities beyond the daily grind.
It is my hope that while appreciating Danny’s artistic works, we are encouraged to go beyond our own boundaries, and have the thirst to explore new territories. If so, then there will be more unbridled people like Danny around us.
Prof Wei Shyy, Executive Vice-President & Provost
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology