MONROE, LA – The Tianyu Wang Endowed Scholarship in Communication has been established at the ULM Foundation thanks to a generous gift from The Tan Family. The announcement was made at a check presentation at the Laird Weems Center on July 2, 2025.
Mr. Tianyu Wang dedicated his life to documenting the lives, culture, and voices of the people in Shaanxi Province through photography and journalism. He believed strongly in the power of storytelling to connect communities and inspire change.
The scholarship was established by Tianyu Wang’s eldest daughter, Xiaoan Wang, BA, ‘97, journalism-public relations, and MA, ‘98, communication; his son-in-law, Jun Tan, MA, ‘91, communication, and PhD, ‘00, pharmacy administration; and his grandchildren, Anna Tan and Andrew Tan.
“On behalf of the ULM community, I extend our deepest gratitude to the Tan family for their extraordinary generosity and vision,” said ULM President Dr. Carrie L. Castille. “This scholarship not only pays tribute to a pioneering figure in the world of photojournalism, but it also affirms the family’s enduring commitment to education, storytelling, and meaningful connection across cultures and generations,” she added.
The purpose of the scholarship endowment is to celebrate and honor Tianyu Wang’s contributions to the field of photojournalism and to empower future generations of students pursuing careers in communication, photography, journalism, film, media, or related fields. The scholarship will be awarded to a student in the final two semesters of their coursework who maintains a minimum 3.0 GPA. The first recipient will be announced in Fall 2025.
“Our wish is that this scholarship helps them pursue their education with confidence, curiosity, and a commitment to making a positive impact—values that Mr. Tianyu Wang held dearly as both a journalist and a father,” reflected his daughter, Xiaoan Wang.
Members of the family traveled across the globe to honor Tianyu Wang at the presentation. In attendance were Hualian Liu (Mr. Wang’s wife), Xiaoan Wang (his eldest daughter), Jun Tan (son-in-law), Anna Tan (granddaughter), Andrew Tan (grandson) and Yang Liu (wife of Andrew Tan). Also present were Dr. Natalie Campbell (sister-in-law of Xiaoan) and Caitlyn Campbell (niece of Xiaoan), who will begin pharmacy school at ULM this fall.
“Our students have a wide variety of interests and come to us with varying levels of experience, but what they all have is a passion for communication—especially visual communication—and many face financial challenges,” said Dr. Ann Rodriguez, Director of the ULM Communication Program. “With the establishment of The Tianyu Wang Endowed Scholarship in Communication, we are able to honor Mr. Wang’s award-winning career in photojournalism and lifelong passion for meaningful storytelling, while helping our students to finish their education and pursue purposeful careers.”
During the presentation, three selected works from Light • Photography • Spring • Autumn, a book by Mr. Tianyu Wang, published in September 2010, were displayed.
Looking ahead, the Tan family will partner with ULM to exhibit Tianyu Wang’s most notable works in Walker Hall to coincide with the Chinese New Year on Tuesday, February 17, 2026.
For more information about the Tianyu Wang Endowed Scholarship in Communcation, including application criteria, please visit https://ulm.academicworks.com/donors/tianyu-wang-endowed-scholarship.
About Tianyu Wang
Tianyu Wang (王天育) was an award-winning photographer, author, and journalist (born 1939 in Baoji, China – died 2024 in Xi’an, China). His decades-long career spanned news photography, documentary filmmaking, and journalism. He served in prominent roles, including Senior Photojournalist at Shaanxi Daily, Vice Chairman of the Shaanxi Branch of the China Photographers Association, and Vice President of the Shaanxi Art Photography Society.
A prolific artist, Mr. Wang captured tens of thousands of images and edited or published more than 50 editions of pictorial magazines. His work was exhibited widely in China and internationally. He also published influential writings on the theory and practice of news photography, praised by peers as “a selfless contribution to China’s news photography industry.”
Mr. Wang authored several books that combined photographs and narrative to capture the culture, natural beauty, and evolving life of Shaanxi Province. His publications have been praised as vibrant and detailed records that illuminate the region’s blend of ancient and modern traditions in an encyclopedic, artistic form.
Tianyu Wang was a self-taught photographer who refined his technique through hands-on practice and creative exploration. He was passionate about photography as a way to “remember our brilliant history in order to motivate us to make progress in the future.” A strong supporter of higher education, Mr. Wang mentored many aspiring photojournalists who went on to achieve great success. Establishing this scholarship is the family’s way of honoring his legacy and supporting future communicators who share his passion.
Through this scholarship, Mr. Wang’s legacy lives on—empowering future generations of communicators to share meaningful stories, just as he did through his lens and words.