Gwen May-wan Kao is the wife of Sir Charles Kuen Kao. They met in London after graduation when they both worked together as engineers at standard Telephones and Cables.
Gwen May-wan Kao is of British Chinese origin and she married Sir Charles Kuen Kao in 1959 in London. Gwen May-wan Kao and her husband Sir Charles Kuen Kao had two children, a son, and a daughter, both of whom reside and work in Silicon Valley, California.
Charles K Kao is a Chinese-born, British-American physicist and educator Charles K. Kao is considered the father of fiber optics whose innovations laid the groundwork for today’s high-speed internet, revolutionizing global communication.
Charles Kuen Kao was an electrical engineer and physicist who pioneered the development and use of fiber optics in telecommunications. In the 1960s, Kao created various methods to combine glass fibers with lasers to transmit digital data, which laid the groundwork for the evolution of the Internet.
Kao was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions to the study of the transmission of light in optical fibers and fiber communication, On October 6, 2009.
According to Kao’s autobiography, Kao was a Catholic who attended Catholic Church while his wife attended Anglican Communion.
May-wan Kao Net Worth
Mrs. Gwen May Wan Kao is the Chairman of the Charles K. Kao Foundation started by her husband, most of their money goes to their charity organization.
Gwen May Wan Kao and her husband Charles K Kao are very generous that they even donated most of their awards and medals to the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
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May-wan Kao Age
If Sir Charles Kao were to be alive he would be celebrating his 89th birthday by November 4, 2022. while his wife Gwen May wan Kao should be a few years younger than him.
May-wan Kao was born in the United Kingdom and her parents are Chinese immigrants. . Gwen May-wan Kao was married to Charles K Kao the winner of the 2009 Nobel prize winner in physics for his contribution to optical fiber.
May-wan Kao Birthday
Charles Kao was born on November 4, 1933, in Shanghai, China, and the couple got married in 1959 when he was 26 years old. I guess May Wan Kao should be a few years younger than her husband when they got married.
Is May Wan Kao Still Alive
Yes, Mrs. Gwen May wan Kao is still very much alive, but her husband Charles K Kao died in 2018.
Charles K Kao’s Wife
Charles K Kao was married to Gwen May-wan Kao till his death in 2018, aged 84 years old. They met in London after their graduation and they got married in 1959. They have two children who both reside and work in Silicon Valley, California.
Charles K Kao Nobel Prize
Charles K Kao, 2009 received The Nobel Prize in Physics, “for his groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibers for optical communication.
- Charles K Kao in 1993 received the honorary title “A Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE)”
- Charles K Kao received also received honorary titles as “A Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire and The Grand Bauhinia Medal (GBM), Hong Kong SAR in 2010.
Charles K Kao received various awards and he donated most of his prize medals to the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
- 1976: The Morey Award, American Ceramic Society, USA.
- 1977: The Stuart Ballantine Medal, Franklin Institute, USA.
- 1978: The Rank Prize in Optoelectronics, Rank Trust Fund, UK.
- 1978: The IEEE Morris N. Liebmann Memorial Award. Citation: “for making communication at optical frequencies practical by discovering, inventing, and developing the material, techniques, and configurations for glass fiber waveguides and, in particular, for recognizing and proving by careful measurements in bulk glasses that silicon glass could provide the requisite low optical loss needed for a practical communication system”.
- 1979: The L. M. Ericsson International Prize, Sweden.
- 1980: The Gold Medal, AFCEA, USA.
- 1981: The CESASC Achievement Award, Southern California, USA.
- 1983: USAI Achievement Award, U.S.-Asia Institute, USA.
- 1985: The IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal.
- 1985: The Marconi International Scientist Award, Marconi Foundation, USA.
- 1985: The Columbus Medal of the City of Genoa, Italy.
- 1986: The CIE Achievement Award of the CIE-USA Annual Awards, USA.
- 1987: The C & C Prize, Foundation for Communication and Computer Promotion, Japan.
- 1989: The Faraday Medal, Institution of Electrical Engineers, UK.
- 1989: The James C. McGroddy Prize for New Materials, American Physical Society (APS). Citation: “for contribution to the materials research and development that resulted in practical low loss optical fibers, one of the cornerstones of optical communications technology”.
- 1992: The Gold Medal of the Society, SPIE.
- 1995: The Gold Medal for Engineering Excellence, The World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO), UK.
- 1996: The Prince Philip Medal of the Royal Academy of Engineering, UK,[76] in recognition of “his pioneering work which led to the invention of optical fiber and for his leadership in its engineering and commercial realization; and for his distinguished contribution to higher education in Hong Kong”.
- 1996: la Citta’ di Padova, Italy.
- 1996: The 12th Japan Prize. “for pioneering research on wide-band, low-loss optical fiber communications”.
- 1998: The International Lecture Medal, IEE, UK.
- 1999: The Charles Stark Draper Prize(co-recipient with Robert D. Maurer and John B. MacChesney), USA.
- 2001: Millennium Outstanding Engineer Award, Hong Kong.
- 2006: The HKIE Gold Medal Award, HKIE (The Hong Kong Institute of Engineers), Hong Kong.
- 2009: The Nobel Prize in Physics, Sweden. “for groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibers for optical communication”.
- 2009: The IEEE Photonics Society Plaque.
- 2010: Distinguished Science & Technology Award, 2010 Asian American Engineer of the Year Award, AAEOY 2010, USA.
- 2010: World Chinese Grand Prize, Phoenix Television, Hong Kong.
- 2010: Chinese American Distinction Award, San Francisco, USA.
- 2014: FTTH Operators Award and Individual Award.
Charles k Kao Cause of death
Charles Kao suffered from Alzheimer’s disease from early 2004 and had speech difficulty, but he had no problem recognizing people or addresses. His father suffered from the same disease. Beginning in 2008, he resided in Mountain View, California, United States, where he moved from Hong Kong to live near his children and grandchild.
Kao lost the ability to maintain his balance in 2016. Kao died at Bradbury Hospice in Hong Kong on 23 September 2018 at the age of 84 years old.