Dr. Phylis Lan Lin

Born in Taiwan.  Born in 1942 in Taichung, Taiwan, Dr. Lin came to America in 1966 upon graduation from Tunghai University. She studied in Montana and Missouri and taught at the University of Indianapolis from 1973-2018. It was her parents who encouraged her to study in the U.S. She recalls her father saying, “We live on a small island just like a frog that lives in a well. You only see that much of the sky. You must jump out of the well and go to America to see the big sky country.” 

A Child’s Name Reveals Parental Expectations.  “Dr. Lin’s father gave her, the first born of her five siblings, a beautiful Chinese name from the Confucius classic, “Tsai-Fong” (采風) which means “When the wind blows, the grass bends.” (風動草偃). Since Dr. Lin was the first born, her father expected her to be the role model for her younger siblings. She is the “wind” who leads the way.

Learning Leadership. “My childhood provided me opportunities to learn a leader’s qualities, including being a role model, trustworthiness, love, and loyalty. My mother is one of the most successful women physicians in Taiwan. She is my role model and hero. I remember she said to me once, “I am the crab. All my nurses are my legs. We must work together in order for the crab to move forward.” This statement has been imprinted in my mind since I was young. I learned that a leader must be a team player, and a leader must work harmoniously with his or her co-workers. My mother treated her nurses just like her daughters. It was a family concept. I have extended this idea of “family” to my work team and to my students, since I started my teaching career 31 years ago.” —“On Leadership” 1-9-04 Women’s Leadership seminar. School for Adult Learning

“A champion is someone who can take charge in life (including of one’s beliefs, feelings, and actions) and who has made the commitment to do something with passion, to do one’s best, and to be proud of what has been accomplished.” —“On Becoming a Champion,” the 2012 Sino-American Joint Program Commencement Ceremony at the Ningbo Institute of Technology (NIT), Zhejiang, China Ningbo Institute of Technology (NIT) Joint Program Cohort 8, Class of 2012

Education for Service. “Her mother was an ophthalmologist, and her father owned a pharmaceutical company. Her father and mother worked together to develop an eye medicine to cure an eye disease prevalent among Taiwanese rural children. The medication was patented and produced for free use in Taiwan through her mother’s volunteer services for school children for many years. Dr. Lin learned “humanitarianism” early on. She learned about the importance of giving to others from her parents, a lesson which has always been a part of her life in higher education.” —Interview with Dr. Phylis Lan Lin, April 20, 2006 by Kris Ruddle, MSW

She shared a key value in common with the University of Indianapolis long before she arrived on campus in 1973: Education for Service. “My whole idea of education is service. I try to bring my part of the world to Indiana and Indiana to the world. Through the promotion of cultural understanding, we will realize more about our humanity. All intellectuals have a moral obligation to promote understanding.” —University of Indianapolis is host of seminar on China: Scholars from China, Taiwan and U.S. will gather in an effort to cultivate understanding. Indianapolis Star, September 29 1995

Integrated Women. “The idea of ‘integrated women’ as role models, evolved from the example of women we emulate.” Dr. Lin and her close colleague, Dr. Mary Moore, did a study on “Integrated Women: A Study of College Women’s View on Marriage, Family, and Career” in 1985. “An integrated woman is a career woman who has the opportunity to interplay the meanings of feminist, traditionalist or androgynous within her life by combining behaviors and attitudes from different orientations. The concept of integrated women enables researchers to break through the limitations encountered in the labeling of women. There seems to be consensus among college students today that their jobs in the future will not interfere with the well-being of their families. A majority of women students prefer a dual-career and egalitarian family pattern.” —Phylis Lan Lin and Mary C. Moore, 1985, “Integrated Women: A Study of College Women’s Views on Combining Marriage, Family, and Career.” Proceedings of Indiana Academy of Social Sciences, 19, 146-52; Phylis Lan Lin, 1990, “Working women in America: Choice and Challenges.” In Proceedings of the International symposium on Women Human Resources, pp. 15-60. 

Balancing Career and Family. Throughout her full-time teaching career spanning 46 years, Dr. Lin strived to be an “integrated woman.” She pointed out that “For most women work is both a choice and necessity: it is a source of financial security and independence, of personal accomplishment and fulfillment, and of professional growth and development. On the whole, this commitment to a career is accompanied by women’s belief that their jobs will not interfere with the well-being of their families even though women show a moderate willingness to modify family roles to meet career demands. A sense of personal integration is found by working through the stress between what is expected and what will be accepted in any particular situation.” Good stress management skills are part of the survival kit for any career woman in the world. 

“Instead of stopping at the crossroads of career versus family, and marriage, integrated women have the ability and opportunity to combine career, family, and marriage. They are career-oriented without rejecting marriage or family.”

Dr. Lin and Dr. Mary Moore’s study (1983) found that over three-quarters of American women college students planned to marry, have children, and pursue a career upon graduation. Dr. Lin stressed that marriage is an option for women. She also emphasized that “being single and a career woman can be just as fulfilling as being a married career-oriented woman with children or without children. Life is a choice.” —Phylis Lan Lin, 1996, “Integrated Women: A Conceptual Framework.” In Women and Work, edited by P. J. Dubeck & K. Borman, pp. 128-131.

Family, the Cornerstone of Society. “We are born into families, grow up in families, and create new families for future generations. The family is the cornerstone for personal growth and community development.” —Phylis Lan Lin, 1996, Marriage and the Family

Defining a Healthy Family. Dr. Lin wrote several books on the subject, including Marriage and the Family (1982, 1986, 1996), Characteristics of a Healthy Family (1987). She did research and published “Characteristics of a Healthy Family and Family Strengths: A Cross-Cultural Study” (1987). “”Family strengths” has been used to describe the family resources of adaptability and integration, which denote a happy, successful and stable family.  “Healthy family” refers to a healthy, comfortable, intimate, harmonious, warm, and well-balanced family life. “Healthy” encompasses a much broader meaning with respect to harmonious relations and successful functioning so that both the individual and the family’s needs can be met.” —Phylis Lan Lin, “Characteristics of a Healthy Family and Family Strengths: A Cross-Cultural Study” (1987)

Characteristics of a “Healthy Family.” Every family has problems, including healthy families. Healthy families are able to cope and adjust well to demands of daily life. Further, Dr. Lin made a bold statement that “The definition of a healthy family is not based solely on the structure of the family, hence, even a single-parent family can be considered a healthy family as long as the family’s needs are met and stresses are managed through positive mechanisms. A healthy family is a stress-resistant family in that such a family is able to function at its fullest capacity, and is able to cope with demands of daily life.” —Phylis Lan Lin (1994, pp. 9-24) 

Attaining the characteristics of “healthy family”: commitment, togetherness, appreciation, good communication, and coping with crisis and stress has been a goal in Dr. Lin’s personal life. "My family (parents, husband, daughter, siblings, and in-laws) are my cornerstone for survival and growth. We are very close. We experience our family strengths in good times and hard times. We always draw strength from our family's closeness, in both good times and hard times." –Phylis Lan Lin (October 23, 2019)

Dr. Lin’s family is ready to celebrate her 50th Wedding Anniversary in 2020. Dr. Lin notes with a laugh, “My family is not perfect, but we are healthy and happy.” Inspired by her sociological discussions on marriage and family, there are two “mottos” carved on wooden plates hanging  on her kitchen wall—“Be Reasonable: Do It My Way,” and “My house is CLEAN enough to be healthy and DIRTY enough to be happy.”

Humor Puts People at Ease. We all have encountered stress and strain in life and we have learned that “laughter is the best medicine.” Dr. Lin likes to crack jokes and LOL. She is a good storyteller and her sense of humor and enduring values are in evidence in a 2005 speech “Education and Work Life,” as she describes her three distinct traits that she considers ‘as my three assets and my three disadvantages.’ 

Turning Weakness into Strength. “First, I am short. My disadvantage is that I cannot reach things higher than 5 ft. tall. However, my height is also my asset because my physicality has never presented a threat to anyone. I can immediately put people at ease when I converse with them, especially if we are standing up. So I’ve always said, “Let’s sit down and talk.” I figured that you won’t be able to see much of the height difference between us while sitting down.

Second, I am a woman. My disadvantage is that, whether in America or elsewhere, I may experience gender harassment or discrimination at work. However, being a woman, I am more expressive, gentle, objective, and possibly more intelligent than my male counterpart. I work hard and sometimes I use that “motherly instinct” at work. I get more things done than my male colleagues and I am able to exercise a special kind of leadership skill that encompasses vision (mothers know how to make plans), integrity (who doesn’t trust mothers?) and passion (mothers are the most affectionate people on earth), (In short, this is my leadership model – the VIP model).

Third, I am Chinese. My disadvantage is that, in America, I am seen as a minority and an outsider. I have been excluded from job and scholarship opportunities. However, being Chinese in America, I can make the best use of my Chinese heritage – 5,000 years of a very rich cultural heritage. If nothing else, I speak Chinese, but most Americans don’t. With my cultural heritage, I see myself as a cultivated, well-educated person who practices the highest degree of filial piety with a respect for the elderly, and I keep two canons in my daily life—humanism and humility. I enrich my American students in the classrooms with Confucianism and Chinese arts. I think I have accomplished a lot however, I always think there is much more for me to do and learn. My Chinese philosophy in life is that “I always think of myself less, but I never think less of myself.” Service is my motto. I used to be very selfish. When I first arrived in America I thought I would return to Taiwan someday and serve only “my people.” However, Indiana transformed me. Now I want to serve not just certain people, but all people.

I am very conscious of my three traits. The day I stepped foot on American soil, I told myself: “I must turn my disadvantages into advantages and turn my weaknesses into strengths.” —A speech made at the “Education and Work Life” workshop, Indianapolis, 2005

Encountering Immigrants. From 1973 onward, Professor Lin brought a sense of ‘cultural relativism’ to her teaching, scholarship and leadership at UIndy. There were few persons of Asian descent living in Indianapolis in the early 1970’s, a time when Marion County’s foreign-born population was 1.45%. It has now grown to 9.1%, according to US Census data in 2010.

Cross-cultural understanding. The arrival of hundreds of students from China on UIndy’s campus beginning in 2006 prompted a heightened awareness of the importance of cultural competence for both the Chinese students and their hosting community of students, faculty and staff. In an address to graduates of NIT, she shared understanding born of her experience and research.  “Today, I am not giving you advice but presenting a perspective that I have cherished when I interact with people from different parts of the world. I am seeing that we have something in common, hoping to use the concept of cultural relativism as a motto to encourage each other to enhance mutual understanding and self-cultivation in a global economy and the multicultural world where we reside.

Cultural relativism means looking at how the elements of a culture fit together, without judging those elements as superior or inferior, right or wrong. The principle of cultural relativism is the foundation of all harmonious human relations, at a micro or macro level.” —“Learn to Embrace Cultural Relativism” The 2010 Sino-American Joint Program Commencement Ceremony at The Ningbo Institute of Technology (NIT), Zhejiang, China, June 20, 2010

Understanding across cultures, cultural relativism, is foundational to her research as a scholar in the complex field of sociology and as a higher education global leader. In her classes and through academic and cultural programs, generations of students gained cultural knowledge and understanding. Graduates of the University of Indianapolis Phylis Lan Lin Social Work Department programs will have the knowledge needed to work, live and pursue economic and social justice in a diverse and global society. 

It was during her childhood in Taiwan that Professor Lin’s earliest inculcation of values of diversity and inclusion began. She experienced her parents’ openness and acceptance of people of diverse backgrounds, their servant-leadership and generosity. Since her arrival in the United States, Dr. Lin has proudly shared her native culture while embracing American culture. 

Defining Successful Aging. Now in her late 70s, Dr. Lin, on the one hand, is starting to enjoy her retirement and at the same time, asking herself how to age successfully: how can we make our ‘old age’ successful and happy? Dr. Lin’s favorite quote on aging is from George Bernard Shaw, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing.”  At present, Dr. Lin’s research has entered a new phase, targeting the global aging issue and exploring “successful aging.” High-quality aging is more about the relationship between the elderly and stress than about the prolongation of human life. There are many definitions of “successful aging,” but the simplest definition may be “to continue to live a fulfilled life.” Then we ask, what may assist you to fulfill your life?

Through an Interdisciplinary Lens. “Once again, with ’successful aging,’ Dr. Lin underlines the interdisciplinary study on stress and stress management, including not only sociology but also all the possible links, embodying cytology, immunology, biotech, medical aspects, and social welfare. When we pay close attention to our environment, understating ourselves without being self-centered, being loving and wise, and making individual and joint efforts together, quality of life for the entire human race can be improved.” —Interview with Professor Phylis Lan Lin: Self-Understanding Without Self-Centeredness, Interviewed and written in Chinese by XU Yali, Youth Literary (pp47-49), November 2014 (Translated by Linda Gao, September 6, 2016)

For further information, see Stress Management: A Total Approach Marriage and Family Stress Management: Improving Quality of Life, by Phylis Lan Lin, 2003 

The Five Fs/Hs Model of Successful Aging. In ‘The Five Fs/Hs of Successful Aging, the Proactivity Model, Stress Management, and Quality of Later Life Conceptualization,’ Professor Lin posits that ‘Healthy and successful aging is possibly the most important research and social and public health policy issue related to aging since the 1980’s. … the presentation synthesizes theories and intervention strategies on successful aging with a conceptualization framework: life trajectories in life course --> objective and subjective definitions of aging --> determinants of successful aging --> the Five Fs/Hs Model (fitness, financial, family, fortitude, and faith, or physical health, financial health, social health, mental health and spiritual health) --> effective stress management and the Proactivity Model --> successful aging --> intervention strategies --> quality of life. —“The Five Fs/Hs of Successful Aging, the Proactivity Model, Stress Management and Quality of Later Life Conceptualization,” November 2, 2015

The Four H’s. Professor Lin refers to four cardinal words that begin with H as pillars of her life:

• Humanism
• Happiness
• Holistic
• Humility 

Following Confucian Teaching. “Time flies, I have lived in America for 52 years. I am very clear with my identity. Who am I? Chinese? American? Neither. I am a Chinese-American. I have the best of two worlds. My Asian heritage cultivates my Confucian values (humanism and humility) and moral teachings (work ethics, filial piety, and loyalty), and my assimilation to American culture cultivates my scientific mind (critical thinking and research skills), democratic values (leadership style and civic engagement), and volunteerism (community service and social responsibility).  I am able to grasp the best of the two worlds and keep an integrated yet balanced framework between the east and the west. I am not Chinese nor American. I am a Chinese-American. I came, I integrate, and I am part of the American fabric.” —November 8, 2018, Welcome Remarks at the Chinese American Museum DC Gala Event, Willard Intercontinental Hotel, Washington, DC

“I am supported by life-long friendships. I am blessed by having a good family. They form the pillars of my life. Most of all, my parents taught me the importance of humanity. My father left me three words: truthfulness, beauty and kindness. He taught me the essence of humanity and integrity.” — “On Leadership,” January 9, 2004 

She touches upon humility in this commencement speech in 2017: “Humility is relationship-building; it is not about self. Only through the practice of humility can one really become an authentic and servant leader. Over the years, I have come to believe that practicing humility does not mean belittling yourself but fosters inner strength. To practice humility is ultimately to have the ability to recognize who you are and to make yourself an instrument for change.” —Speech to the Graduates University of Indianapolis–Ningbo Institute of Technology, Zhejiang Joint University Program
, June 18, 2017

Humility Embraces Truthfulness, Goodness, and Inner Beauty. “Always think of yourself less, but do not think less of yourself.” Dharma Master Cheng Yan (Tzu Chi), who was one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world in 2011 said "To give selflessly with a genuine heart is to be true. To contribute to others unconditionally is to be good.  When one is both true and good, beauty is radiated." —"True, Goodness, and Beauty," the 2011 Sino-American Joint Program Commencement Ceremony at the Ningbo Institute of Technology (NIT), Zhejiang, China,
 June 21, 2011 

“Humility is the basic foundation of all virtues; admitting what you don’t know is knowing.” This suggests that the best leaders are humble leaders. In our Asian teaching, self-growth must be instilled first by self- cultivation and self-awareness. All great leaders possess humility in their actions and deeds. Mahatma Gandhi’s advice should be well taken by us: “It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. Nonviolence is impossible without humility.” —Opening Remarks: “Embracing and Cultivating Humility,” AODN (Asian Organization Development Network)  Summit September 23–26, 2016 Shanghai, China

Controlling Life by Controlling Stress. “Professor Lin’s interest in researching stress “can be traced back to her mother’s expectation of her going to medical school. Though she went against her mother’s will, Dr. Lin finds herself assisting doctors in better understanding patients based on her studies in medical sociology. Though not a practitioner of medicine, Dr. Lin explores studies on social-psychological aspects of illness behavior. She gave workshops to interns in family medicine and workshops to social work practitioners on foster care in the 1980s in Taiwan.

In her latest publication this year, Stress Management: Improving Quality of Life, Dr. Lin no longer views stress purely as an alien intruder but a possible component of quality of life once effectively managed and positively converted.

The Five C’s for Stress Management. Psychology professor Suzanne C. Kobasa uses 3 C’s to describe the ‘stress hardy’ personality: i.e., commitment, control, and challenge. Apart from valuing commitment, keeping the situation under control, and rising up to challenges, Dr. Lin adds “change” and “charge.” “Change” means remaining calm in the face of changes, and “charge” suggests shouldering responsibilities when called to and knowing when to move forward and backward. After knowing oneself, a person can develop an ideal personality, free from stress, if trying to work on their own will. —Interview with Professor Phylis Lan Lin: Self-Understanding Without Self-Centeredness Interviewed and written in Chinese by XU Yali, Youth Literary (pp 47-49), November 2014 (Translated by Linda Gao, September 6, 2016)

Blending East and West. “My Asian heritage cultivates my Confucian values (humanism and humility) and moral teachings (work ethics, filial piety, and royalty), and my assimilation to American culture cultivates my scientific mind (critical thinking and research skills), democratic values (leadership style and civic engagement), and volunteerism (community service and social responsibility). I am able to grasp the best of the two worlds and keep an integrated yet balanced framework between the East and the West. I am blessed to have been socialized in both cultures. I can see in myself the values and practices of the two cultures.”  —2007 “Be A Champion of Cultural Dualism”

The Doctrine of the Mean. Dr. Lin’s life philosophy follows the “The Doctrine of the Mean 中庸之道” (a well-known Confucian teaching that denotes “moderation, rectitude, objectivity, sincerity, honesty and propriety. The guiding principle is that one should never act in excess.”) Objectivity is the key word here. Instead of taking sides, “we vs. they,” “inclusion vs. exclusion,” “East vs. West,” “men vs. women,” “better or worse,” and so on. Being an immigrant in America, Dr. Lin never forgets her roots yet she embraces the greatness of American values. 

Once again, in her 2011 Commencement speech to the graduates of the joint program, Dr Lin brought up “cultural dualism”:

“…You are very fortunate to have received two kinds of education (Chinese and American) and to have received two sets of degrees (NIT and UIndy). You have the freedom to choose. What you have chosen today will become part of you tomorrow. We hope you will make the best use of your dual assets and to continue on the path of greater learning, commitment to serving your community, and resilience to the ever-changing and challenging world… You will be the movers and shakers and the promising leaders in a society where you will encounter many things that have learned on both campuses…” —“Truth, Goodness, and Beauty”, the 2010 Sino-American Joint Program Commencement Ceremony at the Ningbo Institute of Technology (NIT), Zhejiang, China, June 21, 2011

Professor Lin shares her Vision Integrity Passion bywords in a 2009 commencement speech.  Her comments apply as well to the hundreds of graduates of the University of Indianapolis that benefit from her example and her teaching:

“Do we understand what “VIP” stands for? The conventional definition for “VIP” is “very important person.” Yes, we want to make you a very important person in this world. But today, I would like to take the opportunity to put a twist on the acronym and offering a new meaning for “VIP”: “Vision, Integrity, and Passion.”

Vision. We have been and will continue building this joint program with a vision of the future. We are training a new breed of work force and intellectuals for tomorrow’s China. We want to train a group of young students who can foresee society’s needs and who will position themselves well with the skills and knowledge needed for their future careers.

We are building this joint program with a vision that the graduates will be equipped with a sound foundation for them to realize their potential, to be able to find a niche in a most challenging environment. We want to help you to believe that you are part of something bigger than yourselves. Whether you stay in China or return to the U.S. to continue your graduate studies upon graduation, our goal is to help you to grasp the best of two cultures (Chinese and American), to become a global citizen, to become a change agent, and to strengthen the quality not just of your own lives but also of the world that surrounds you.

Integrity. Trust is one of the most important ingredients of integrity. It is imperative to have mutual trust in the joint program. We have to be trusted by our students, their parents, and our educational institutions. A high-quality program is based on the integrity of leaders and the institutions where the program is delivered. We trust and believe in ourselves and believe that we will be trusted. Integrity refers to values regarding work, productivity, matters of right and wrong, fairness, and relationships.

Passion. Finally, we are passionate; we are committed, and we are engaged. We are ready to educate a new breed of Chinese college students. Several students have asked me, “Dr. Lin, why are you so energetic and tireless?” I reply, “I love what I am doing, and I am in love with what I want to do. In fact, I am passionate with the mission I gave myself.”

A senior lecturer at MIT, Jonathan Byrnes, said one of the essential characteristics to lead paradigmatic change is the capacity for passion. He said, “First and foremost, you need a burning drive to make things better. Change management is a grueling process, and passion will see you through it.” —Harvard Business School “Working Knowledge” archive, 9-6-2005

Passion provides the motivation, energy, and commitment to do things rigorously. Whether you are planning to reach a specific life goal, reach a certain level of perfection in your work, make good money, fulfill or abide by your parents’ wishes, help people in crisis, or make a positive impact on your society, you must, first and foremost, have a clear vision and strong passion and practice your deeds with integrity. Only then will you become an effective leader with the moral character for your endeavor.

“My dear graduates, today’s ceremony is a rite of passage in your adult lives. I have high hopes for you. You are a product of the VIP model. I hope you will continue to cultivate it with your traditional Chinese values and practice some of the American values you have cherished since you enrolled in the joint program.” —Phylis Lan Lin, PhD Presidential International Ambassador University of Indianapolis, Commencement Speech, June 19, 2009, Ningbo Institute of Technology, Zhejiang, China

“Dr. Lin’s Chinese name seems to describe her way of life. While others only daydream of the things they want to accomplish, Dr. Lin works tirelessly until her goals are accomplished. Her resourcefulness is astounding on account of the fact that she builds and maintains professional and personal relationships with such a variety of prestigious individuals and organizations all over the world. In her endeavors, she sparks inspiration in almost everyone she comes into contact with. Through her intense focus and unmatched work ethic, she is certain to have a great impact in any way she is inclined. “When the wind blows, the grass bends,” and Dr. Lin is the wind.” —Interview with Dr. Phylis Lan Lin, May 10, 2006 by Kris Ruddle, MSW

The admiration and gratitude of her students, colleagues, collaborators, friends, and family, accompany Professor Emerita Phylis Lan Lin, ever intent on contributing to humanity, for decades to come. Dr. Lin spoke at the 2019 Social Work Students Orientation. She remarked to students, “All of you are going to be the new breed of social workers. Please join me as we look forward to our Social Work Program's 30th Anniversary in 2021. We will invite our alumni back to campus and listen to their success stories. Together, we will build a “VIP” Social Work Department in Indiana and beyond. We will thrive and fulfill our mission.”

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