Founder Dr. Phylis Lan Lin

The Legacy of Dr. Phylis Lan Lin

By Kris Ruddle

In 1997 the baccalaureate program in social work at the University of Indianapolis was accredited and appropriately named “The The Phylis Lan Lin Program in Social Work.” I was at the dedication reception when Dr. Lin was honored for her work in establishing the preliminary social work program in the late 1970s.

In her acceptance speech, Dr. Lin asked that the acronym “VIP,” for Vision, Integrity, and Passion, be the program’s motto. Dr. Lin embraces the VIP motto in all she does.

You do not have to look far to know how much she has accomplished during her career as a sociologist and a college professor. She has done research in the general areas of work, stress, marriage, and family. This has led her to write many articles and books and to lead workshops and lectures since beginning her career in 1972.

Her career reaches far beyond the University of Indianapolis. In 1991 Mayor William Hudnut III proclaimed July 26, 1991, as “Dr. Phylis Lan Lin Day” to honor her contributions in strengthening the family unit all over the world. In November 2001 Dr. Lin was designated a member of the “Good Old Girls” in the Indianapolis Business Journal’s Women in Business, which named her as one of the 33 most influential women in the city of Indianapolis. She recently was highlighted in the March 2003 Indianapolis Woman as a person of inspiration because of her survival of breast cancer.

Dr. Lin is much more than her accomplishments. She is a mixture of modesty, humility, passion, energy, dedication, vision, and humor. She tells you that she was born in Taiwan to a “modest family.” Modest, maybe, but also interesting and full of life.

She was the first-born of five children— four girls and one boy—to Yun-teng Lan and Dr. Yu-chiao Lin. Her father gave her a beautiful Chinese name, “Tsai-Fong,” which means “When the wind blows, the grass will bend.” Dr. Lin’s father, an artist and philosopher, put aside his art career to raise a family. Dr. Lin describes her mother as a strong feminist role model. Dr. Yu-chiao Lin Lan maintained her career and marriage while raising five children. Dr. Lin’s parents were married for 56 years and the strong family ties are revealed in a memorial book of her father’s life and artwork that she keeps in her office.

Her parents gave Dr. Lin a strong foundation. She built on this by completing her undergraduate work in Taiwan. She wanted to pursue a graduate program in applied sociology. This led her to the United States, where she graduated from Montana State University and then went on to earn her Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1972.

Dr. Lin’s first job teaching was at Missouri Southeast State University. She and her husband, Dr. Leon Lin, an aerospace engineer, graduated together. He took a position with General Motors in Indianapolis. When Dr. Lin finished her first year at MSSU, she looked at colleges in the Indianapolis area. Her reason for applying for a teaching position at what was then known as Indiana Central College demonstrates her sense of humor and her practicality. When asked why she chose ICC, she replied, “I did not want to drive on the interstate.”

She interviewed with the president of the University and was offered a teaching position that same day. Dr. Lin worked full-time while raising her daughter, Toni, who is now married and completing her medical degree. Dr. Lin has been a positive female role model to her daughter, as her mother was to her.

In Dr. Lin’s words, she has served under three “excellent” University presidents. She thoroughly enjoys her work at the University and shows no signs of slowing down. Her work and who she is as a person continue to foster the VIP motto of the social work program. Dr. Lin describes herself as a visionary and a lifetime learner. She seeks advice from those “above” and “below” her, valuing each and every person she meets. Her integrity and passion are seen in her development of the The Phylis Lan Lin Program in Social Work, the Program of Asian Studies, and now the graduate program of Applied Sociology.

Dr. Lin would like to pass these words of wisdom on to social work students: “Take pride in yourself. What you do is important. You may affect one person, who then affects more. Be passionate about what you do. See your service, your work, as blessed. You are shaping individuals, and individuals shape society. Be wellrounded, be a lifelong learner, and approach each person as an individual on their level.”

If you have the opportunity to take a class with Dr. Lin, do so. She has a reputation of requiring a lot of her students, but she also offers support and resources to help them excel and be proud of their work. If you do not have an opportunity to take a class with Dr. Lin, stop by and introduce yourself. She is one of the most approachable professors on campus and has a great sense of humor. You will know that you are in the presence of a person with “VIP.”