Ta-Hsiu Liao

Professor Ta-Hsiu Liao (廖大修), a distinguished Taiwanese biochemist, devoted educator, and respected member of the international scientific community, passed away peacefully on February 2, 2026, in California at the age of 83. Leaving behind a legacy defined by intellectual rigor, integrity, and lifelong commitment to scholarship.

Prof. Liao was born the youngest of twelve children to Hsin-Chu Liao and Mien Hsieh on February 22, 1942, in Taipei, Taiwan. His intellectual gifts were evident from childhood. He attended Taipei Municipal ChienKuo High School where his exceptional aptitude for mathematics earned him the nickname “King of Arithmetic”. He then entered the Department of Agricultural Chemistry at National Taiwan University. As an undergraduate researcher, he investigated a trisaccharide isolated from bananas—an early indication of the analytical precision and scientific curiosity that would define his career. In 1965, Prof. Liao began doctoral studies in Biochemistry at UCLA, completing his Ph.D. in 1969. His graduate training provided rigorous grounding in protein chemistry and enzymology.

From 1969 to 1974, he pursued postdoctoral research at The Rockefeller University under Nobel Laureate Professor Stanford Moore. During this formative period, his research advanced understanding of enzyme specificity and catalytic mechanisms. Between 1974 and 1985, T. Liao was a professor at Oklahoma State University. During that time, he conducted systematic studies on the subunit architecture and active-site sequence of porcine spleen DNase through meticulous biochemical characterization.

He was invited to join National Taiwan University as Professor of Biochemistry in 1985, where he served until 2007. For more than two decades, he trained graduate students, directed laboratory research, and upheld rigorous academic standards. Prof. Liao also served as Dean of the College of Bioresources at National I-Lan University between 2003-2006, guiding curriculum development and institutional advancement. Upon retirement, he was named Professor Emeritus at National Taiwan University. His research, widely published in leading international journals, continues to be cited in the study of biochemical enzymology. His work on DNase significantly deepened molecular understanding of enzyme catalysis and structural determinants of activity. He was widely respected for intellectual precision, disciplined reasoning, and principled leadership. Voted University's "Professor of the year", he is well loved by all his students.

Beyond the laboratory and lecture hall, Prof. Liao was known for a vibrant and generous spirit with the most resounding laughter. He possessed an extraordinary singing voice and was a member of his college choir. He loved both classical and popular music, from Beethoven and Tchaikovsky to Wu Bai and John Denver. He also found genuine joy in golf and in savoring fine cuisine. His zeal for life outside of academia revealed a mentor who believed education extended beyond formal instruction—it included joy, community, and shared experience.

Prof. Liao embraced life with warmth and curiosity. To friends and family, he was generous with his time and wisdom. In a tribute to his mother, he established a scholarship in her name to support students of limited means. He was deeply committed to educational philanthropy.

Prof. Liao is survived by his wife of fifteen years, June, and his two children, Cindy and Richard, and his beloved grandchildren, Alex, Winston, and Madison.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, March 6, at 11:00 a.m. at Lighthouse Memorials & Receptions - McCormick Center: 901 Torrance Blvd., Redondo Beach, CA 90277.

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廖大修教授於2026年2月2日安詳辭世於美國加州，享壽八十三歲。身為傑出的生物化學家以及摯誠奉獻之教育家，他為國際生化科學界所敬重之學者，其一生以嚴謹治學、端正操守與畢生致力於學術研究之精神，樹立典範，澤被後學。

廖教授於1942年2月22日生於台北、台灣，是廖心柱先生與謝免女士的十二孩子中排行老么。自幼聰穎過人，天資卓越、活潑好動。就讀臺北市立建國高級中學期間，以優異之數理才能聞名，獲「數學大王」之稱號。其後考入國立臺灣大學農業化學系。大學時期即投入研究自香蕉中分離三醣，展現其精密的分析能力與深厚科學素養。1965年赴美就讀加州大學洛杉磯分校（UCLA）生物化學博士班，1969年獲頒博士學位，奠定日後蛋白質化學與酵素學之堅實基礎。

1969年至1974年間，於洛克斐勒大學師事諾貝爾獎得主史丹佛・摩爾教授，從事博士後研究，其成果於生化學界對酵素專一性與催化機制之分子理解。1974年至1985年任教於美國奧克拉荷馬州立大學，期間以嚴謹之研究方法，系統性解析豬脾去氧核醣核酸酶（DNase）之次單元結構與活性位點序列，對酵素結構與功能關係之研究有卓越的貢獻。

1985年應聘返臺，任國立臺灣大學生物化學教授，服務至2007年。二十餘年間，悉心培育研究生、講課，主持實驗室研究。榮退後獲聘為國立臺灣大學名譽教授。2003年至2006年間兼任國立宜蘭大學生物資源學院院長，創立學院與協助院務發展不遺餘力。其論著廣見於國際重要期刊，至今仍為生化酵素學研究所引用。為人精確審慎，治學有紀，領導公正持平，曾獲選為大學「楓城良師」年度最佳教授，深受學生愛戴。

實驗室與講壇之外，廖教授性情幽默爽朗，笑聲宏亮動人。其歌喉出眾，曾為大學合唱團成員，鍾愛古典與流行音樂，自貝多芬、柴可夫斯基以至伍佰與約翰・丹佛，皆樂在其中。亦酷愛高爾夫與品味佳餚。其對生活之熱忱，映照其教育理念——育人不僅在課堂，更在於分享歡樂與凝聚情誼。

廖教授待人以誠，溫厚睿智。為紀念母親，特設立獎學金以扶助家境清寒學子，長年關懷教育公益並且在扶輪社13年投身公益活動。

廖教授身後遺有結縭十五載之夫人June，子女廖英君、廖崇安，以及孫兒Alex、Winston與孫女Madison。