A BRIEF BIOSKETCH of LE VAN HOA (John H. LeVan)
"Professor Le Van Hoa was trained in nuclear and solid state physics, radiation
medicine, laws, political economy and international relations at Saint Louis University,
Washington University, Northeastern Illinois University and Northwestern University in
the U.S. since the early 1960s.
After receiving his doctoral degrees in these areas, he taught college phycics and
mathematics at Saint Leo University in Florida, radiology at the University of Illinois
School of Medicine in Chicago, political science at Northwestern University in
Evanston, medical radiation physics and radiation medicine at the School of Graduate
and Postdoctoral Studies and the Chicago Medical School where he established the
Department of Medical Radiation Physics (MRP) in 1978, offering MS and PhD
programs, and served as Professor and Chairman until June 2008. For several years he
was also Visiting Scholar at the Center for Urban Affairs and Policy Research and the
Center for International and Comparative Studies of Northwestern University.
During his long academic career Dr. Le Van Hoa has produced some 300 MS graduates
and served as doctoral dissertation research director for over 36 PhD's. his research
works focused on ferroelectric crystals in memory devices and switching systems,
gamma and proton interactions, radiation biology, radiation dosimetry, scanning proton
beams in topoRx, political economy of peasant society, revolutionary ideology and
international relations.
He has published some 130 papers and reports in peer-reviewed journals in physical,
biomedical and political sciences and international conferences. His PhD dissertation
from Northwestern University (1989) on "Cultural Foundation of Ho Chi Minh's
Revolutionary Ideology" was translated into Vietnamese and published 4 times since
1996 by the Hanoi Publishing House with its 4th Edition in 2006 along with the English
version, at the same time with the publication of his MA thesis from Northeastern
Illinois University (1983) entitled "Traditional Characteristics of the Vietnamese August
1945 Revolution."
He was visiting professor and PhD examiner and adjucator for the Faculty of Nuclear
Physics at Andhra University in India, and also taught at Chulalongkorn University and
Mahidol University in Thailand where he is also elected Honorary Fellow of the Royal
College of Radiology. Dr. LeVan was Radiation Safety Officer for the U.S. VA system
overseeing nuclear radiation safety practice of 172 federal institutions using nuclear and
radioactive materials. Over two decades Prof. Le Van Hoa served as consultant and
senior expert to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna and was
IAEA expert to a number of developing nations.
Returning to Viet Nam in 1977 as a young professor and scientist, Dr. Le Van Hoa,
along with the late Professor Edward Cooperman of the California State University at
Fullerton and Professor Arthur Galston of Yale University established the U.S.
Committee for Scientific Cooperation with Vietnam in the following year (of which he
was Secretary-General), and this Committee was responsible for visits to the United
States in the late 1970s and 1980s by such senior Vietnamese professionals and
scientists like Professors Nguyen Van Hieu, Ton That Tung, Le Van Thiem, Phan Dinh
Dieu, Hoang Tuy, Ho Si Thoang, Pham Huy Thong, Le Xuan Tu, Pham Quang Du,
among others.
In 1992 Dr, LeVan became President and CEO of the United States-Vietnam Foundation
(USVNF) and in 2007 he was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Medical
and Technological University of America Foundation (MTUAF), both non-profit
organizations. The USVNF has co-hosted some two dozen international conference in
Vietnam with professional organizations such as the Vietnam and Hanoi Cancer Society,
the Military Medical University, the University of Da nang, PetroVietnam, etc.. In June
2010, the USVNF will again co-host the International Conference with the Ministry of
Science and Technology on "Nuclear Power Plant Technology and Safety"
Professor Le Van Hoa left his teaching position in July 2008 to concentrate on research
works as Founder and CEO of the Midwest Nuclear Proton TopoRx Research Group in
Chicago, and overseeing projects instituted by both the USVNF and MTUA Foundation.
Since January of this year, Dr. Le Van Hoa serves as a visiting faculty teaching a course
on "International Economics and Globalization" for the joint MBA Program of Thang
Long University in Hanoi and Nice University of France.