BIO
Charlene C. Chuang was born on December 29th, 1957 in Taipei, Taiwan, where she would spend her childhood with her parents, grandparents, and three older siblings. With classmates at the National Taipei Teachers College’s primary school, Ms. Chuang forged lifelong connections. After completing high school, Ms. Chuang immigrated to the United States and lived with her brothers, eventually earning both her Bachelor and Master of Science degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She then led a 37-year career in the oil and gas industry, with her longest-held positions in the upstream sector for BP. While retired, Ms. Chuang has committed herself to various volunteer activities focused on culture and youth outreach. She has served as board chair of the Asian Pacific American Heritage Association, Chinese Community Center, and Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston. She currently lives with her mother in Houston. In this interview, Ms. Chuang fondly recounts her early life, immigration, and formative experiences at MIT. She details how she navigated professional goals amidst her changing roles from engineering management to commercial and senior director positions. She discusses her longstanding involvement in community organizations and how she came to practice Buddhism in her adult life. Finally, Ms. Chuang shares about her rich social life, hobbies, and friends and family.