陳長謙院士（1936–2025）是國際知名的化學家，1988年當選中央研究院第17屆院士，1997年應李遠哲前院長之邀來臺服務，並於2021年獲頒總統科學獎。

陳院士出生於美國舊金山，為加州柏克萊大學化學博士，曾於加州理工學院化學與化學工程學系執教長達四十年。來臺後，先後擔任中研院化學研究所所長與副院長（1999年起）。早在二十多年前國內尚未重視國際招生時，陳院士即領先創設「臺灣國際研究生學程（Taiwan International Graduate Program, TIGP）」，為我國高等教育開啟招收國際學生之先河。

為表彰其貢獻並傳承其追求卓越、熱誠育才的精神，中研院於2003年設立「陳長謙講座」，每年邀請一位傑出科學家來臺訪問。

陳院士的研究領域廣泛而深入，尤以「粒線體的細胞色素c氧化酶」與「嗜甲烷菌中的微粒型甲烷單加氧酶（pMMO）」兩大標竿系統之突破性成果，蜚聲國際。他率先採用創新的光譜學與生物化學方法研究膜蛋白與金屬蛋白，成功解開細胞色素c氧化酶的結構與功能，揭示當時被視為科學「黑盒子」的奧祕，奠定其於該領域的世界權威地位。1990年代起，陳院士投入甲烷轉化為甲醇的研究，其團隊發現三銅簇催化機制，並研發全球首個可於室溫下將甲烷轉為甲醇的仿生分子催化劑，為甲烷氧化領域帶來重大突破。

陳院士年少時以成為傳道人與科學老師為志，終其一生秉持傳教士精神治學育人，桃李滿天下。其學術成就獲得多項國際殊榮，除總統科學獎外，亦包括美國生物物理學會CBNet獎章、美國生物化學暨分子生物學學會William C. Rose獎章、美國藝術與科學學院院士、美國物理學會會士、國際自然科學院院士、世界科學院院士與印度化學學會榮譽院士等。陳院士60歲以後的歲月幾乎全然奉獻於臺灣及中研院， 其卓越貢獻，為臺灣在生醫、藥物與能源領域的研究奠定了堅實根基。

Sunney I. Chan (1936–2025), Academician of Academia Sinica, was an internationally renowned chemist. He was elected as a member of Academia Sinica in its 17th convocation in 1988, invited by former President Yuan T. Lee to serve in Taiwan in 1997, and was awarded the Presidential Science Prize in 2021.

Born in San Francisco, USA, Chan received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. He served for forty years as a professor in the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at the California Institute of Technology. After relocating to Taiwan, he served as Director of the Institute of Chemistry and later as Vice President of Academia Sinica (beginning in 1999). As early as two decades ago, before international recruitment had gained traction in Taiwan, he pioneered the Taiwan International Graduate Program (TIGP), which laid the foundation for international student enrollment in Taiwan's higher education system.

In recognition of his contributions and to carry forward his pursuit of excellence and passion for nurturing talent, Academia Sinica established the Sunney I. Chan Lectureship in 2003, inviting one distinguished scientist each year to visit Taiwan.

Professor Chan's research was broad and profound, especially known for his groundbreaking work on two model systems: cytochrome c oxidase in mitochondria and particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO) in methanotrophs. He was a pioneer in applying innovative spectroscopic and biochemical techniques to study membrane proteins and metalloproteins, leading to the successful elucidation of the structure and function of cytochrome c oxidase—a topic once considered a "black box" in science—thus establishing himself as a global authority in the field.

Starting in the 1990s, Professor Chan turned his focus to the conversion of methane to methanol. His team discovered the catalytic mechanism of a tricopper cluster and developed the world's first biomimetic molecular catalyst capable of converting methane to methanol at room temperature—marking a significant breakthrough in methane oxidation research.

In his youth, Professor Chan aspired to become both a preacher and a science teacher. Throughout his life, he upheld the missionary spirit in both his academic pursuits and mentorship, inspiring generations of students. His scientific achievements garnered numerous international honors, including the Presidential Science Prize, CBNet Award from the Biophysical Society (USA), William C. Rose Award from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, fellowships or memberships in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, American Physical Society, International Academy of Natural Sciences, The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), and as an honorary fellow of the Indian Chemical Society.

After the age of 60, Professor Chan dedicated nearly all of his time and efforts to Taiwan and Academia Sinica. His outstanding contributions laid a solid foundation for Taiwan's research in biomedicine, pharmaceuticals, and energy.