WWW.WA S .ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • DECEMBER 2022 21 Ken was the sixth of seven children born at the Chew residence in Red Bluff, CA. His father immigrated to the United States in 1916 from Guangdong Province. Ken developed an early love and passion for the outdoors, often spending his free time hunting and fishing which lead to youthful aspirations to become a Game Warden with California State Fish &Game. Ken obtained his B.A. from Chico State College in 1955, where he channeled his love for the outdoors, majoring in biology. Ken continued his studies at the School of Fisheries at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle, Washington, where he expected to work on salmon biology. However, during his first summer in the Pacific Northwest, while working at the Washington State Department of Fisheries Shellfish Laboratory at Pt. Whitney (Hood Canal), he became involved in shellfish work and decided that his future lay with invertebrates, mainly molluscs, rather than fish. He obtained his M.S. degree in 1958 and his Ph.D. in 1962, with a dissertation thesis on Pacific oysters. He then accepted a position with the UWCollege of Fisheries (now known as School of Aquatic and Fisheries Science). He held several positions at the School. Ken’s research interests covered a wide spectrum that included shellfish biology and aquaculture, paralytic shellfish poisoning, and problems related to baseline ecological studies involving benthic intertidal and subtidal invertebrate communities. He continued to do research and teach for 36 years, supervising and graduating close to 100 M.S. and Ph.D. students. Teaching and maintaining a close rapport with students was an important part of Ken’s life and he inspired many students to continue their studies in molluscan biology. In recognition of his outstanding teaching ability, he received the 1993 Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award from the College of Fisheries Sciences at UW. In 1989, he became the Director of the Western Regional Aquaculture Center (WRAC), one of five regional aquaculture centers designated by the USDA to foster aquaculture development in the US. In this position he devoted considerable time and energy testifying before congressional committees inWashington, DC, on issues related to aquaculture development. He served in that role until 1996, when he became the interim director of the School of Fisheries. He was then appointed Associate Dean, College of Ocean and Fisheries Sciences at UW in 1998. Throughout his professional career, Ken maintained a close working relationship with the shellfish industry, particularly in the Pacific Northwest. Much of his research and that of his graduate students focused on finding solutions to problems that would further I N M E M O R I A M Kenneth K. Chew, 1933-2022 the development of the industry. The importance of the shellfish industry as an economic and sustainable force is in large part due to the efforts of Ken Chew and his students. Ken’s influence on the shellfish industry has not been confined to the Pacific Northwest. He was also internationally recognized as an authority on the biology and aquaculture of shellfish. He lectured on molluscan biology and culture and provided advice and consultation to many countries, including Australia, Canada, China, Chile, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Philippines. In 1987, he was appointed for life as a visiting professor at Shanddong College of Oceanography in China. Ken was actively involved with the National Shellfisheries Association (NSA) since he first joined in 1958. He served on the Board and as Vice President (1970-1971) and President (1971-1972). He devoted considerable time and energy into preserving the close association between industry and the scientific community of NSA. As a result of his work and association with NSA, Ken was awarded the first David H. Wallace Award, given by the NSA in 1982 for his dedicated service in promoting researching, understanding and cooperation among shellfisheries scientists, culturists, managers, producers and regulators. In further recognition of his contributions to NSA, he received the Honored Life Member award in 1989. He was a member of the Board of the World Aquaculture Society from 1973-1976, President in 1977 and an associate editor of the Proceedings of the Society from 1985-1989. He received the prestigious Honorary Life Member award fromWAS in 1995. In 2014, NOAA recognized his longstanding contributions to shellfish research and aquaculture, the contribution of his students who continue to advance this work and the importance of efforts to restore shellfish in Puget Sound by announcing the Kenneth K. Chew Center for Shellfish Research and Restoration, established in partnership with the Puget Sound Restoration Fund, located in Manchester Bay, WA. The center provides the scientific expertise and specialized facilities to support the research and production of native oysters and other Pacific Northwest living marine resources. Ken was an avid sportsman and, when time permitted, relished hunting and fishing. Through all his professional accomplishments, his true love and passion was the raising of his family. He made lasting friendships with many he met along the way. Ken passed away peacefully in Seattle with his wife Maegan by his side and surrounded by his family, ( C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 2 2 )
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