Harckham Commemorates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Honors Dr. Lilian Wu of IBM

Chappaqua, NY – New York State Senator Pete Harckham commemorated Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month 2022 recently by honoring Dr. Lilian Wu for her outstanding contributions to IBM and Westchester County, and presenting her with a New York State Commendation Award as well as a framed Senate Proclamation. 

“The diversity that is interwoven through the communities of the Hudson Valley is what makes this region so great,” said Harckham. “With this in mind, I am so pleased to honor Dr. Wu and recognize her many noteworthy accomplishments as part of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. It is also up to all of us to cherish, nourish and protect our diversity, especially as senseless, violent attacks against Asian Americans continue to occur.” 

Harckham presented Dr. Wu with her awards at a special ceremony held at the New Castle Town Hall. Among those attending the ceremony were Marjorie Hsu and Robert Chao, whom Harckham honored last year during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Dr. Wu has worked at IBM for nearly 50 years. She began as a researcher at the Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown and later became a consultant for IBM’s Vice President of Technology. Later, Dr. Wu was the Program Executive for IBM’s Global University Programs, where she managed research collaborations between IBM and university and government partners. Currently, she is an Emeritus Researcher for IBM.

Among her many honors throughout her career, Dr. Wu was as a member of President Clinton’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology and also served on several National Science Foundation (NSF) Advisory Committees, including the Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering.

Dr. Wu has been a Fellow at the New York Academy of Sciences for nearly 25 years, and currently serves as Chair Emeritus of the U.S. National Academies’ Committee on Women in Science, Engineering and Medicine. She serves on numerous boards relating to education and the medical field, and in 2021 was appointed by County Executive George Latimer to serve on the Westchester County Asian American Advisory Board.

“I want to thank Senator Harckham for giving me this very meaningful award,” said Dr. Wu. “I have experienced a sense of belonging from my friends, colleagues and Westchester elected officials, even during this difficult time with so many incidents of hate. It has encouraged me to become a visible and active member of my community.”