Professor Emeritus & Head of Civil Engineering at Rangoon Institute of Technology
Nativity
Born, brought up, and schooled in Taungdwingyi, Magwe Division, Myanmar, by my parents Saw Boon Koke (aka) U Win Myint and Daw Kyin Toke.
Family
Named as Maung Kyit Ing, the eldest son of six, three younger brothers (two Medical Doctors and one Head Master of State High School) and two younger sisters (one Medical Doctor and one Director of Education).
Married to Daw Khin Myint Myint.
Have two sons (Nicholas, a Medical Doctor and Daniel, a Computer Analyst) and one daughter (Penthea, a Medical Doctor), and three grand daughters.
Residence
Currently living with my spouse at 5947 Loma Avenue, Temple City, California 91780-1924, U.S.A.
Academic Career
School Leaving Certificate from Taungdwingyi State High School and Matriculated, 1948
University of Rangoon: Intermediate of Science, 1950
B.O.C. College: 1st Year B.Sc. Engineering, 1951
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): BS (Civil Engineering), 1955
Cornell University: MS (Civil Engineering) with Major in Geodesy and Photogrammetry, 1956
Faculty of Engineering, University of Rangoon, 1957-1961
Colombo Plan Professor, University College, London, 1974-1975
Rangoon Institute of Technology (RIT), once also known as Burma Institute of Technology (BIT), Department of Civil Engineering, 1961-1988
Accomplishments
Professor & Head of Department of Civil Engineering, more than 31 years of service as educator and administrator at RIT, (1957-1988)
Director of Regional Colleges Development Project (Burmese Counterpart to Foreign Experts) (1978-1982), helped establish 20 Regional Colleges all over Burma
Chairman of Civil Engineering Construction Cooperative (CECC) (1976-1982), created job opportunity and On-the-Job-Training (OJT) for RIT and University Graduates, a Consultant Firm engaging the expertise of Faculty and Laboratory Staffs
Consultant Member of the Myanmar National Calendar Advisory Committee (1972-1988), helped revise and update Traditional Calendar Computation and Compilation Methods
Member of the Advisory Committee for Restoration of Bagan (1975-1988), helped strengthen Bagan Monuments (Stupas & Pagodas) and establish Photogrammetric Resources for rapid and precise mapping of Bagan Monuments.
Editor’s notes
Saya taught “Surveying” in my 2nd B.E. course
He is an expert in both Western & Eastern Astronomy, Western & Eastern Astrology.
He served on the “Myanmar Calendar Advisory Board” for many years.
He wrote an article, which complements/augments Kogyi Koung’s narrative of the “Kyaikhtiyo Project”.
He also wrote about “Bagan restoration” and “Civil Engineering Department”.
He retired from Caltrans when he was about 80 years young.
He passed away in Southern California.
Memories
Attended SPZP-2000 & gave speech
Welcome Dinner for SPZP-2000
Alumni mostly from SoCal meet annually for Lunch gathering with Saya. Dr. San Lin invited us to one gathering.
Saya & former students
Dr. Aung Soe led the practical for Saya’s course on Surveying.
U Min Wun Professor Emeritus, Civil Engineering, RIT
U Min Wun
When I read the article on “Kyaik Hti Yo Development Project” (KHYDP) by Dr. Koung Nyunt, Arch 67 – New Zealand, it brings me lots of fond memories and remind me of the “Good Old Days” of my tenure at the then R.I.T. It urges me to write this supplemental article.
There are many attractive sites in Myanmar for pilgrims, such as
• “Ah Laung Daw Katha Pha” to the west of Monywa, • “Popa Taung Kalat” and “Mount Popa” north of Kyauk Pa Daung, • “Pin Da Ya Hlaing Gu” near Nyaung Shwe in Shan State, • “U Daung Taung” near Inlay Lake in Shan State, • “Mrauk U” and “Wei Tha Li” in Rakkhine State, • “Kyaik Hti Yo” in Mon State, … and so on, just to mention a few.
These pilgrimage sites are our “National Wilderness Heritages”. A Wilderness is a place where the imprint of humans is substantially unnoticed, and the changes will occur primarily through natural disturbance, and minimum human influence. This is not the case with Kyaik Hti Yo, and many of the above pilgrimage sites in Myanmar, where human encroachment and activity are becoming noticeable.
On your way up the Kyaik Hti Yo Trek, after the Nga Gar Lain climb, the first sight of the Gilded Stupa-Topped Boulder, resembling a Hermit’s Head, floating on top of a Stone Pillar, appears in vista vision. At that time, a thrilling feeling of achievement and excitement is beyond description and all the physical tiredness seems to have dissolved and melted away in the bodily blood stream. During the Pagoda Festival Season, this scenario was usually hidden from view by a long row of bamboo huts along the last ridge toward the Kyaik Hti Yo Pagoda Plateau. Many smaller boulders along the ridge were painted in white for advertising the vendors.
To the East of the Pagoda Plateau many bamboo huts align the smaller ridges with waterless bathrooms in the back and human wastes are dumped along the slopes, creating ugly and unsanitary sites for parasites, and causing unpleasant smell in the air. Water is a scarce property and it is a luxury to afford a shower.
With the blessing of the venerable “Me Byaw Sayadaw”, the Kyaik Hti Yo Pagoda Trustees (KHYPT), requested me to prepare a Project Report for the development of Kyaik Hti Yo and its Environment. The Project was sponsored by the KHYPT under the auspices of the Kyaik Hto Township Party and Council. The Project Development Team (PDT) was formed with the following volunteer Team Leaders: Dr. Koung Nyunt, ( Dept of Architecture, R.I.T.); Dr. San Lin and U Hla Thein (Electric Power Corporation, E.P.C.); Dr. Kyaw Latt, (National Housing Board, N.H.B.); U Tint Lwin (?), (Dept of Geology, R.A.S.U.); U Aye Win Kyaw, (Dept of Civil Engineering, R.I.T.).
And volunteer members from R.I.T., E.P.C., N.H.B., R.A.S.U., too numerous to mention and I do hope they will excuse me.
Preservation of Wilderness : Dr. Koung Nyunt and his team had prepared many good recommendations to preserve Kyaik Hti Yo and its environment by maintaining the natural landscapes and scenic beauty, and to preserve it as a Wilderness Area. (See Slide #16 of Kyaik Htiyo Album, KHA. Dr. Kyaw Latt is the Second from the Left, looking away from camera.)
Zoning : The team lead by Dr Kyaw Latt had prepared useful Zoning Maps, with guidelines for enforcement, to demarcate Kyaik Hti Yo Plateau for Resting Huts, Food Stalls, Souvenir Boutiques, Photographers, etc.
Hydro-power : The Hydropower Team lead by Dr. San Lin & U Hla Thein made a feasibility study for Micro-hydro Power Project, for lighting, for pumping water to the Pagoda Plateau level for water supply and sanitation purposes. U Hla Thein will design the turbine and manufacture it locally. (See Slide #29 of KHA.)
Geological Survey : U Tint Lwin and his team made a general geological survey of Hyaik Hti Yo Pagoda Site. A detailed study of the Stone Pillar and the Hermit-Head Boulder was conducted. Disposed “Food Offerings” were found at the foot of the Stone Pillar and many “rodent holes” were also observed. These holes became small piping tunnels for runoff water to drain deeper and quicker into the ground, causing erosion and exposing the base of the Stone Pillar. This process was gradually endangering the stability of the Stone Pillar, which is “supposed” to support the 160-ton Hermit-Head Boulder on top of it. A concrete slab was poured around the base of the Stone Pillar and discarding of “Food Offerings” at the base was at once prohibited. Several hairline cracks were observed at the top of the Stone Pillar and “Water Offerings” to the Stupa on top of the Boulder was prohibited temporarily until the hair line cracks were sealed with apoxy resin. (See Slide # 25 of KHA.)
Civil Engineering : U Aye Win Kyaw and his surveying team were very ingenious to determine the volume of the Hermit-Head Boulder and its weight, which was calculated to be approximately 160 tons. The center of gravity of the Boulder was determined to be 6 to 9 inches away from the vertical axis of the “Contact Point” with the Stone Pillar, giving an impression of being on the verge of falling off. The Boulder seems to be afloat and can be rocked back and forth about a shifting “Contact Point” on top of the Stone Pillar. A rope can be pulled through this “Contact Point”, without getting crushed, by rocking the Boulder gently. And it seems to defy the Law of Gravity, thus making it both a terrestrial and a celestial “Wonder”. (See Slides #13, #22, and #24 of KHA.)
Many field trips were organized by each team to do site investigations both during Kyaik Hti Yo Festival Season (beginning at the end of the Buddhist Lent and ending on the Lunar New Year Day) and off the Festival Season. According to an age-old saying, the author should become rich because he had made more than “Three Trips to Kyaik Hti Yo Pagoda”, at least nine trips. The age-old saying is, perhaps, true, because many of the PDT members and volunteers are now abroad living comfortably or enjoying a retirement life.
A feasibility report was submitted to the Kyaik Hti Yo Pagoda Trustees in 1982. Since then I have not been to Kyaik Hti Yo Pagoda Festival. I have learned that there are many improvements to make Kyaik Hti Yo a Tourist Attraction. We should, however, keep in our mind that the “Wilderness” of Kyaik Hti Yo should be protected and valued for its unique ecological, historical, religious, scientific and experiential resources.
Note :
Saya Dr. Koung Nyunt (A67) and Sayagyi U Min Wun are GBNF.
Was studying Mechanical Engineering when he was offered to study MET at Lehigh University in the US.
Completed BS & joined Faculty as Assistant Lecturer
Received MS from Melbourne University
Became Lecturer & Head of Metallurgy Department
Taught “Materials and Processes” in our 2nd BE class. He would throw chalk at the noisy student(s).
Moved to Australia.
Sent condolences via the RIT Alumni Newsletter when Saya Allen Htay (C58) passed away. He was a bit senior to Saya Allen during their high school in Yegyaw.
Wrote a brief history of the Metallurgy Department for HMEE project. He suggested other Met sayas to cover more (after he left RIT).
Attended selected Reunion and PZPs in Yangon.
Dr. Saw Pru (GBNF)
He succeeded U Thit as Head of Department
Ko Thein Ngwe (ChE76) posted an article about “လူဝင်စား” It mentioned that Saya chose to be reborn as a son of his nephew Ko Khin Aung Shwe.
U Than Tin
He studied in US.
Acting Head of Department
After teaching for several years, he moved to US.
I spoke with him briefly before SPZP-2000.
Dr. Tin Win said that U Than Tin moved from East Coast to Los Angeles
Dr. Khin Maung Win (GBNF)
Dr. Khin Maung Win
B.Sc. from Mandalay University
Worked at Mandalay U and later at UBARI in Rangoon.
Went on a government scholarship to USA to get his MS and PhD in Metallurgy.
Joined RIT Met
Later became DG of Technological Agricultural and Vocational Education.
U Aung Hla Tun (GBNF)
U Aung Hla Tun HMEE
Retired as Associate Professor
Published two books
Won National Literary Award for his first book.
Chief Editor of RIT Annual Magazine
He & his team published the History of Myanmar Engineering Education book in 2012. U Ohn Khine (M70) and I compiled the CD supplement for the book.
Saya led HMEE-2012 & HMEE-2018 projects.
Some Senior Sayas
U Pe Win : Professor and Rector
U Tin Maung Nyunt (Met70) : Retired as Professor. Note that U Tin Maung Nyunt (M60) taught Agricultural Engineering.
Daw Victoria Simon (Met70) : Retired as Professor. Her father was Workshop Superintendent.
U Win Kyaw (Met71) : Rowing; Moved to Ministry of Mines in 1982
Win Kyaw
U Thein Aung (Met72) : Mr. RIT in 1968; SPZP-2000 (co-emcee, Associate Editor), Lawrence Livermore Lab
Thein Aung
U Nyunt Htay (Met73) : High school Luyechun, Poet, Chief Editor of Mudita Myanmar)
Nyunt Htay
Miscellaneous
U Win Kyaw, U Thein Aung & U Nyunt Htay had a micro-reunion at 2015 RIT Alumni Reunion in Los Angeles and at the iNapa Winery Lunch & Dinner hosted by Gordon Kaung (M83) and Lillian Kaung (EC83).
U Nyunt Htay hosted a Dinner for U Win Kyaw, U Ye Myint and me during my visit to Yangon (from Nov 2019 to Jan 2020). He also gave me the Kabyar book (by five RIT sayas / alumni) and the Mudita Sar Saung (which featured the kabyars of him and Saya U Moe Aung).
Younger sayas and sayamas include Dr. Naing Naing Aung (Met91, who organized seminars).
Graduated with Mechanical Engineering from RIT in 1967.
Worked at Sittaung Paper Mill.
Moved to USA. Became a successful Entrepreneur and Philanthropist
Co-founded “M & Ko”. Hired several Burmese (including RIT graduates) in the SF Bay Area. Sponsored “Ya-han-khan” (ordination) ceremonies for his employees.
Did not forget his roots. Golden Sponsor of SPZP-2000. Donated $3000 to SPZP-2012. Donated to NorCal RITAA and sponsored table for the Annual Dinner.
Donated to the general and building funds of various monasteries in the Bay Area. One was in memory of his spouse Daw Sein Yone.
Played Table uTennis
Built audio equipment to play Vinyl Records with high fidelity
Became a Vegetarian
Retired after Serial Entrepreneurship. Joined the Bay Area Retirees’ monthly lunch gathering.
Passed away on February 22, 2021.
Mavis Ko donated $2000 to NorCal RITAA in David’s memory.
Article fromBAPS Newsletter
Edison Paw wrote the success story of two RIT alumni : David Ko (M68) & Benny Tan (M70)
Thanks to BAPS, Maurice Chee (Past President), Henry Lim (Former Chief Editor) & Edison Paw for permission to reprint the article
David Ko
Mr. David Ko (U Tin Myint, M67) has a successful mechanical components manufacturing firm in Union City. He co-founded the business back in 1978 with a partner from Croatia. The two partners have since expanded their business. With approximately 100 employees, they currently occupy 72,000 sq. feet of space for their warehousing and manufacturing operations. The company is continuously growing at a rate of 5-25% per year. Ninety percent of their employees started out as trainees in their shop. BAPS [and RIT Alumni International] would like to congratulate Mr. Ko for his hard work, his dedication to his employees and his contribution to the community.
Besides his successful business, David and his late wife, Daw Sein Yone, have three wonderful and promising children, two daughters and one son in all. The eldest daughter is working on her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of California at Santa Barbara and is expected to start her internship this year. Their second child is in his second year at the Stanford University Medical School studying for his MD and Ph.D. program. Their third daughter is studying hair design at the Vidal Sassoon Academy.
Mr. Ko emigrated to the U.S with his family in 1973 and they have been living in Fremont since 1976. He worked at the Raychem Company for five years before opening his own business. His interest in machining and tools started early in his life when he read Popular Mechanics and Mechanics Illustrated. He graduated in mechanical engineering [in 1967] from the Rangoon Institute of Technology (RIT) in Burma. He is one of a few Asian Americans who are not only trained machinists but also professionals in their own right. Inspired by their keen interests in mechanical devices and accessories, they learned, for the most part, on their own and developed their skills. However he had to overcome many obstacles that other minorities and immigrants encounter. In the late seventies, there were few Asian American machinists. David was constantly asked by his customers whether he was a machinist, if he knew how to operate a machine, and where he acquired the skills.
David and his partner continue to thrive in this very cyclical business mainly because they take good care of their employees, re-invest their earnings into their business, re-invent themselves, and expand their business cautiously. Competition in the mechanical components business continues to be fierce because of new improvements in technology. In many ways, David compares technological advances in the machine industry to those of the software industry. Every year new models come on the market. These new products work faster and give you a whole lot of functions and features. Just as David manages his family and nurtures them carefully, he manages to nurture his business relationship with his partner and his employees quite successfully.
David, Congratulations to you and your family!!! You are a role model to everyone! It shows that the United States is truly a land of opportunities. Hard work and perseverance can and do lead to success. David and his company are always looking for trainees.
The Class celebrated the Golden Jubilee of the admission in 1967.
Hovercraft Project
Six final year M73 students (including U Hla Win and U Khin Maung Cho) did their project on Hovercraft under the supervision of Saya U Tu Myint.
M73 Project
John Rao organized a mini-gathering during my visit to Singapore to meet Saya U Tu Myint and selected M73 members headed by U Hla Win (formerly known as “Roll No. 1”). Saya had retired as Director from Singapore Polytechnic.
I met U Khin Maung Cho at my nephew’s house warming party in Yangon. He was a junior colleague of my elder brother at HIC.
Saya U Moe Aung arranged for a media interview (partly online and partly face-to-face) with the Hovercraft team members.
UCC Alumni
U San Lin (Robert) & Daw Hla Myint (Marina) in Dallas, Texas
U San Lin (Robert, EC73), U Htun Aung Kyaw (HAK, EC73) and U Khin Maung Aye (M73, GBNF) attended M.Sc. (Computer Science) course at UCC.
Robert worked for Texas Instruments in Singapore and was transferred to Texas. He worked for Tech Companies until retirement. He and his spouse Marina (Daw Hla Myint, EC73) hosted the first leg of our trip to Texas. They have a son (medical doctor) and two grandchildren.
HAK worked for Schlumberger before moving to Australia. I met him and his spouse (medical doctor) during our visit to Sydney in 2006.
U Khin Maung Aye (GBNF) worked for Railways Computing Section.
Ph.D’s
Dr. Myint Thein (M73) received his doctorate from Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA. He wrote articles for RIT Alumni Newsletter with the pen name Ba Thein (Atlanta). His spouse is Daw Nyo Nyo Win (T73).
Dr. Myint Thein
Dr. L. Sein Myint (M73) received his doctorate from UK. He co-hosted the first RIT Alumni Reunion in East Coast.
East Coast Reunion
Dhamma Lecturers
U Jotika
Sayadaw U Jotika (EE73) is a distinguished lecturer and author. He spent a vasa at Taung Pulu Kaba Aye monastery in Northern California. He made Dhamma Duta missions to Singapore and USA.
U Ohn Kyaw (EP73) has visited and shared dhamma in the USA. He also had a mini-reunion in Los Angeles with his former classmates.
ChE73
U Kyi Aung (Roland Chen, ChE73) submitted the Class Photo for the first ex-rit website.
ChE73
Ko Roland offered to give us a ride to attend gatherings hosted by Saya U Aung Myaing (ChE72) and Daw Gyn Yu (ChE72). He shared some anecdotes. One was “why he was offered to test ride the M73 hovercraft”. Another one was about his Final Year Computer Programming Class taught by Dr. Maung Maung Win (GBNF). He did all the assignments at UCC. At the final exam, he saw a single question “If you have done the assignments, leave them in the exam hall”. His two friends (who had not diligently done their assignments) were caught by surprise.
HlaMin 