Dr. Chau Thien Phan was Professor of Political Science at Rider University, in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, where he taught from September 1968 to May 2003. He was Chairman of the Rider Political Science Department from 1973 to 1982, and was a lay minister for Rider Catholic Campus Ministry (CCM). He continues to serve as the web minister of Rider CCM.

He came to the United States from Vietnam in 1958 as a student, thanks to a scholarship from Marian College, run by the Sisters of St. Francis of Oldenburg, Indiana. He received the B.A. in Economics and Sociology from Marian College, Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1961; the Master's degree in International Economics and Politics from the Jesuit-run University of Detroit in 1963.  He did his doctoral studies as a Social Science Foundation fellowship recipient under the direction of Dr. Josef Korbel, father of President Bill Clinton's Secretary of State, Dr. Madeleine Korbel Albright, and mentor of President George W. Bush's National Security Adviser and now Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. He received the Ph.D. degree in 1965 from the Graduate School of International Studies of the University of Denver. 

Dr. Phan joined the faculty of the Political Science Department of Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, in 1968, where he was also Director of the Model United Nations program until his retirement in 2003. He was chairperson of the department from 1974 to 1982. His areas of specialty included International Relations and World Politics, Nationalism, American Foreign Policy, the United Nations, global issues such as human rights, global issues including the global economy, population, the environment, weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, etc. Among other publications, he edited Annual Editions World Politics 80/81, 81/82, 82/83 for the Dushkin Publishing Group, a subsidiary of McGraw-Hill. 

In terms of avocation, Chau Phan is an independent website designer for non-profit organizations in which he believes. He only does web sites over which he has control over both information and presentation. All his works are pro bono. His web designs are simple, straightforward, and stresses fast loading, using minimally distractive graphics.  He created and remains webmaster for, among other, Rider University's Catholic Campus Ministry, Santa Maria del Mar Catholic Church in Flagler Beach, Florida, where he is a parishioner.

Thomas & Francis Phan

Chau was married to Teresa Phuong-Mai at St. Matthew's Cathedral in Washington, DC, in April 1967. Teresa was an Administrative Analyst (Accounting) for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. They have two grown sons, Francis and Thomas Phan, living and working in Boston, Mass. Chau and his wife Teresa live in Grand Haven, City of Palm Coast, Florida, and serve as AARP Tax-Aide volunteers each year up to April 15.