Phung Thai 蔡素鳳

Sponsor: Southern California Fukienese Association

Phung Thai, born in Saigon, Vietnam, came over to the United States when she was 1 year old and was raised in the city of Monterey Park. Phung graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2004 and received a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology and minored in Asian American Studies. Through Asian American Studies, she has been inspired to raise awareness in the Chinese-American community by bridging the generation gap. She has done clinical research at UCLA's endocrinology laboratory that focused on a growth and differentiating factor named myostatin. Phung's career goal will ultimately lead her into the field of healthcare catering to the underserved popula-tions. She has volunteered at the Union Rescue Mission and with Habitat for Humanity. Phung loves to scrapbook, do crossword puzzles and snowboard. Phung is the proud daughter of Thai and Mui Chuong.