Vivien Davis Tsu ’69

I spent two wonderful summers on campus working as a research assistant for Mr. Gulick, my history professor. I did archival research for his biography of Peter Parker, first medical missionary to China. I learned about China’s history and medical practice in the mid-19th century. I was living with my soon-to-become husband, whose parents had emigrated from China, and I had recently switched from pre-med to being a history major. The campus was beautiful (as always), the work was fascinating, and Mr. Gulick was a warm but exacting guide to proper research methods. He also helped me shape my honors thesis, which led me into African history. Although I started on a PhD in African history, I actually ended up (years later) with a PhD in epidemiology based on research I did in Zimbabwe. The research methods I learned those summers served me well throughout my career in international health.