Dr. Chiu is considered to be “the father of UHM's Chi Epsilon”. Dr. Arthur Chiu received a BS in civil engineering and a BA in general science from Oregon State University in 1952, an SMCE from M.I.T. in 1953, and a PhD in structural engineering from the University of Florida in 1961. He began as an instructor at UHM in 1953, and progressed through the ranks to full professor in 1964, serving as Chairman of the CE Department from 1963 until 1966. Dr. Chiu was instrumental in organizing Chi Epsilon at the UHM (installed in 1957 as the 49th chapter) and subsequently the Hawai‘i Chi Epsilon Alumni Association. There were 16 charter members. Since then, over 830 members have participated in various activities, events, and projects to emphasize the development of sound traits of character, practicality, sociability, and technical ability among civil engineers, striving to raise the standard of professional service.

The Dr. Arthur N.L. Chiu Endowed Scholarship in Civil Engineering was established in December 2005 in honor of Dr. Chiu’s legacy of commitment to his students and young engineers. This endowed scholarship assists, in perpetuity, undergraduate students in the Civil Engineering program at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa College of Engineering. It honors a man whose long and dedicated career in education has helped shape the field of engineering in Hawai‘i.