FanFare Travel Award

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“When I was in grade school, my father would let me explore the room in the physics building basement that housed equipment for demonstrations. It was one of my favorite things to do. He expected that I would become a physicist too and, after graduating high school, I enrolled at the U of A as a physics major and took most of the required undergraduate courses. I can’t say that I did well. I switched over to math, received a BA…and went on to make my career as a musician!

Despite that, I continue to have a strong interest in physics and am proud to endow the FanFare Award to ensure the continued support for the outstanding physics students at the University of Arizona.” - Michael Fan

The award is open to undergraduate and graduate students majoring in Physics and is intended to help them share their research with the broader scientific community, fostering professional growth and collaboration. Between 2021–2025, 62 students have been awarded the Fanfare Travel Award, enabling them to present their work at recognized national and international conferences.

This endowment was made possible through a generous gift of $60,000 from Michael Fan, son of the late Professor Chang-Yun “Charlie” Fan, an esteemed emeritus faculty member in the Department of Physics. Professor Chang-Yun Fan (1918–2009) was a respected physicist and educator who joined the University of Arizona in 1967. His research spanned nuclear and space physics, and he was known for his dedication to mentoring students and fostering international scientific exchange. 

The fund ensures stable, ongoing support for students, continuing the legacy of the original Fanfare Travel Award, which was first established in 2013 by Professor Fan’s late daughter Paula Fan, Regents Professor of Music Emerita, in his memory.

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If you are interested in receiving funding from the FanFare Endowment to travel to a conference, please consult with your faculty advisor and reach out to David Smith at dlsmith1@arizona.edu.