Published: May 13, 2008 12:04 am         

Former ISU professor OK after earthquake in China

One-time colleagues relieved to hear that Aimin Chen is ‘fine’

TERRE HAUTE — A former Indiana State University faculty member who left in 2005 to become a vice president at Sichuan University in China said she is “doing fine” in the aftermath of Monday’s devastating earthquake.

Reached by telephone Monday evening in China, Aimin Chen said to tell her former colleagues she is fine, but she had to leave immediately to assist students and help keep them calm.

Aftershocks were continuing, and “we have to be very careful,” she said in the brief conversation.

She had taught economics at ISU for 14 years.

John Conant, chairman of the ISU economics department, said a staff member tried e-mailing Chen, but they hadn’t heard from her as of 5 p.m. Monday.

Chen was “a well-respected teacher and scholar” at ISU with expertise on the Chinese economy, Conant said.

During her 14 years at ISU, Chen collaborated extensively with scholars in China while conducting research on Chinese economic reforms. She also served as president of the Chinese Economists Society for one year, and helped ISU develop a partnership with China’s Liaoning University.

The 7.9-magnitude quake toppled buildings, schools and chemical plants Monday in central China, killing at least 10,000 people.

Both Conant and Brian Kilp, an associate professor of music at ISU, were relieved to hear that their former colleague is OK.

Kilp visited Chengdu last year to teach and perform at the Sichuan Conservatory, and he also saw Chen at that time. When he last talked to her, she wanted to become president of a small, liberal arts college there.

Chen’s current job status at the university-level could not immediately be determined Monday night.

Kilp is supposed to visit Chengdu in a few weeks to return to the Sichuan Conservatory, where he would teach master classes. A friend was arranging housing for him, and initially that person texted him Monday and told him everything was OK with no injuries. A subsequent text message indicated people were staying in the street for safety.

Chen, a native of China, left ISU to become vice president of finance for Sichuan University in Chengdu, just 60 miles from the earthquake epicenter.

Kilp said he began making calls to his friends in China about 9 a.m. Monday but couldn’t get through. “I did get two or three texts saying people are safe,” he said.

He planned to make contact again Monday evening to check again on the status of his friends.