The legacy of Dr. Kenneth Kendall Chew and with his beloved wife Maegan by his side impacted the lives of many.

For Ken, it all began with accidently enrolling in college. In some regards, he turn a hobby into something more that would change the world. A creative partner like May, made all the difference.

Imagine graduating from Red Bluff high school and “accidentally” enrolling at Chico State University while accompanying a friend who was registering for classes. That is exactly what happened to Ken Chew. When a counselor asked him “would you like to enroll?” a simple suggestion perhaps would set him on a path that would change the world. He channeled his love for the outdoors, majoring in biology and graduating in 1955.  Ken continued his studies expecting to work on salmon biology at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. However, during his first summer in the Pacific Northwest, while working at the WA State Shellfish Laboratory at Pt. Whitney (Hood Canal) the researchers there convinced him that there was a need for Molluscan research.

Life would become much sweeter for Ken when in the winter of 1957, he met the love of his life at a social club gathering at the UW. A young May Wong was an undergraduate earning her teaching degree when cupid struck Ken Chew. By the spring of 1958, May (aka Maegan) and Ken were married at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Seattle.  With a loving wife supporting him every step of the way, Ken would be awarded his PhD in June 1962 and accepted a position with the UW College of Fisheries (now known as School of Aquatic and Fisheries Science).  

Obtaining full professorship by 1972, Ken continued to conduct important research and remain an educator for a total of thirty-six years, supervising and graduating close to one hundred MS and PhD students.  Wow. Teaching and maintaining a close rapport with students had been an important part of Ken’s life and he inspired many students to continue their studies in molluscan biology creating a ripple effect in the community of aquaculture science.   In recognition of his outstanding teaching ability, Dr. Chew received the 1993 Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award from the College of Fisheries Sciences at the University of Washington.

Throughout his professional career, Ken maintained a close working relationship with the shellfish industry, particularly in the Pacific Northwest.  Much of his research and that of his graduate students focused on finding solutions to problems that would further the development of the industry.  The importance of the shellfish industry as an economic and sustainable force is in large part due to the efforts of Ken Chew and the students who work in the industry.

Ken is forever recognized as a worldwide authority on the biology of shellfish and aquaculture (the planting, cultivating, and harvesting of shellfish for commerce). His professional credits are many: University of Washington Professor Emeritus, retired Director of the Western Regional Aquaculture Center, retired Associate Dean of the UW College of Ocean and Fishery Science. He also served as West Side Commissioner of Washington Department of State Fish & Wildlife.

In 2014, NOAA recognized his longstanding contributions to shellfish research and aquaculture, the contribution of his students who continue to advance this work, and the importance of efforts to restore shellfish in Puget Sound by announcing the Kenneth K. Chew Center for Shellfish Research and Restoration (established in partnership with the Puget Sound Restoration Fund), located in Manchester Bay, WA. The center provides the scientific expertise and specialized facilities to support the research and production of native oysters and other Pacific Northwest living marine resources.