Charles C. Zhang - Advisor Directory - Barron's

The Zhang Theatre at Miller Auditorium

In recognition of the generous support of Charles Zhang and Lynn Chen-Zhang, Miller Auditorium's inside theatre will officially bear the name Zhang Theatre. Since 2018, Zhang Financial has served as the presenting sponsor of Miller’s Broadway in West Michigan Series, strengthening a long-standing partnership with the auditorium.

Reflecting on the dedication, Lynn Chen-Zhang shared that their support “stems from a deep belief in the transformative power of the arts.” She emphasized that Miller Auditorium is a cornerstone of cultural enrichment, inspiring creativity, fostering connection, and providing access to world-class performances. “Supporting institutions like Miller is essential to ensuring that future generations have the opportunity to experience the magic of the performing arts,” she noted.

The dedication of the Zhang Theatre reflects the Zhangs’ lasting commitment to enriching the cultural life of Kalamazoo, ensuring the arts continue to inspire and connect generations to come.

Charles & Lynn Zhang Portage Community Senior Center

Charles’ and Lynn’s most recent philanthropic act continues an extensive history of giving back to the local community. With a plethora of baby boomers retiring in the near future, there was a clear need for an updated senior facility. The new Charles and Lynn Zhang Portage Community Senior Center has gone above and beyond expectations of any simple remodel. A completely new building with perfect location has revamped and revitalized the home base for many of Portage’s senior citizens.

Lynn Chen-Zhang spoke at a Portage city press conference, calling the new senior center the “living room” for the community. This new living room is open to all, and is quite the public hangout for local seniors. With over 32,000 square feet (over four times the size of the old facility) the new building features space for all sorts of activities. Rooms for pickleball, basketball, games and reading all highlight parts of the definitive upgrade in the Portage community, made possible in large part to the Zhang’s contribution. It is acts of generosity and kindness such as this that keep the Portage community moving forward, together.

Charles C. and Lynn L. Zhang Legacy Collections Center

Western Michigan University

Charles and Lynn give a considerable amount of donations to a place that is very near to their hearts. They both received a master’s degree from WMU and now they enjoy giving back both their time and their resources to their alma mater. Lynn serves on the Board of Trustees and is on the WMU Foundation Board of Directors and Charles has served as an adjunct professor in Finance at WMU. They have supported many of the University programs including the Haworth College of Business, Miller Auditorium's Zhang Financial Broadway in West Michigan Series, the Department of Economics, the Medallion Scholarship Program, and the Academically Talented Youth Program in the Lee Honors College.

One of their biggest donations to WMU is the Charles C. and Lynn L. Zhang Legacy Collections Center. This new building on Western’s campus was made possible by the generous donation of Charles and Lynn. The Zhang Legacy Collections Center houses the WMU Archives and Regional History Collections. The holdings total over 28,000 cubic feet, making the WMU Archives the largest facility of its type in southwestern Michigan and one of the largest in the state. The WMU Archives preserve WMU’s papers, files, and history. The Regional History Collections contain vital records, rolls, diaries, Civil War letters, newspaper archives, photographs, maps, and other historical materials from 12 Michigan counties. The new, state-of-the art building has achieved silver certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. The facility includes a public area for researchers, genealogists, community members and students, a climate controlled storage area for the collections, and offices/workspaces for faculty and staff.

The Charles and Lynn Zhang Animal Care and Resource Center

The Kalamazoo Humane Society

Charles and Lynn Chen-Zhang generously volunteered as the principal donors for the new Kalamazoo Humane Society. The recently completed, brand new building comes equipped with state of the art medical procedure rooms for spay/neuter surgeries, an educational space and an adjoining memorial garden for pets that have passed away. The building is named The Charles & Lynn Zhang Animal Care & Resource Center in recognition of their donation.

For a little history on the progression of the project, see below:

The Kalamazoo Humane Society broke ground on its new animal care and resource center on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019. Lead donors Charles and Lynn Zhang contributed to the total $5 million budget for the facility that will include state-of-the-art medical procedure rooms for spay/neuter surgeries, educational space and an adjoining memorial garden for pets that have passed away. The building will be named The Charles & Lynn Zhang Animal Care & Resource Center in recognition of their donation. For Full Story>

The Kalamazoo Humane Society has raised about $5 million for the project, Winters said Thursday at the offices of Zhang Financial on Oakland Drive in Portage. Philanthropists Charles and Lynn Zhang were the principal donors and the building will be named in their honor. The building will sit on about 20 acres at River Street and the I-94 Business Loop in Comstock Township.

The Charles and Lynn Zhang Skylark Ridge

Binder Park Zoo

Charles and Lynn recently made a philanthropic donation to Battle Creek’s Binder Park Zoo in support of a team building and youth engagement project to create a ropes course attraction. The new structure will stand three stories tall and includes five zip lines that weave throughout the course. A smaller scale ropes course is also under construction and will be called the “Little Larks” course, specifically designed for younger visitors. The Zhang’s gift shows their commitment and passion for wildlife conservation and their local communities. The official name of the new attraction is “The Charles and Lynn Zhang SkyLark Ridge” and is set to finish construction summer of 2022.

Charles and Lynn Zhang Professorship of Economics, English & comparative Literature

Columbia University

As a continuation of their philanthropy, Charles and Lynn recently established two endowed professorships at Columbia University, one in Economics and one in English and Comparative Literature. Charles and Lynn have a long history of supporting educational institutions, especially those that have had, and to continue to have, a positive impact on their lives. Charles and Lynn both attended the Executive Education program at Columbia University. Their sons, Mitchell and Alex, both attended Columbia College of Columbia University. Mitchell earned a Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude in Economics. Alex received a Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude in Economics and Creative Writing.

Charles and Lynn Zhang Professorship of Economics

Through endowed professorships, Columbia is able to attract and retain the most influential thinkers in economics and finance. Economics professors at Columbia not only contribute their own research, they teach undergraduates and promising graduate students to become the next generation of leaders in this evolving field. Thus far, there have been seven Columbia University graduates who have gone on to receive the Nobel Prize in Economics. They are: Alvin E. Roth, Kenneth J. Arrow, Milton Friedman, Robert C. Merton, Robert W. Fogel, Simon S. Kuznets, and William Vickrey.

The Trustees of Columbia University have named José A. Scheinkman as the first Charles and Lynn Zhang Professor of Economics. Professor Scheinkman spent 26 years at the University of Chicago, rising from assistant professor to Alvin H. Baum Distinguished Service Professor and Chairman of the Department of Economics. He was also appointed the Theodore A. Wells ’29 Professor of Economics at Princeton University. Since 2013, he has served at Columbia as the Edwin W. Rickert Professor of Economics, a position he will relinquish for the honor of accepting the Zhang Professorship. In addition, from 2012 to 2015, Professor Scheinkman was the chair of the Economic Sciences section of the National Academy of Sciences.

Charles and Lynn Zhang Professorship of English and Comparative Literature

Professorships are essential to Columbia’s strength, encouraging the leading-edge scholarship and inspiring mentorship that have long distinguished the University. Thus far, there have been five professors who have received the Nobel Prize in Literature. They are: Orhan Pamuk(2006), Derek Walcott(1992), Gabriela Mistral(1945), Joseph Brodsky(1987), and Nadine Gordimer(1991).

Through the establishment of the Charles and Lynn Zhang Professorship of English and Comparative Literature, Columbia will remain home to one of the most promising, innovative, and expert scholars and educators in the field of American literature and culture. The Trustees of Columbia University have named Professor Branka Arsic′ as the inaugural Charles and Lynn Zhang Professor of English and Comparative Literature. Professor Arsić specializes in literatures of the 19th century America and their scientific, philosophical and religious contexts. She has taught at SUNY-Albany, Dartmouth, Cornell, and Brown. Since earning her PhD, Professor Arsic′ has solidified her reputation as a scholar of the highest order. Her work is distinguished by its academic rigor, scope, and originality; bringing a unique and fresh perspective to bear on classic American Literature. Her most recent book, Bird Relics: Grief and Vitalism in Thoreau (Harvard University Press, 2016), explores Thoreau’s relation to mourning practices and the natural world, examining ideas and assumptions that surround the work as much as the author himself. Professor Arsic′ is also the author of On Leaving: A Reading in Emerson (Harvard University Press 2010), a book on Herman Meleville, Passive Constitutions or 71/2 Times Bartleby (Stanford University Press, 2007), and many more.

Charles C. Zhang and Lynn L. Chen-Zhang Fellowship

Harvard Business School

Charles and Lynn Zhang have a long history of financial support for places that have played an important role in their lives. They have given locally and throughout the United States to educational institutions as well as numerous other non profits.

In keeping with their philanthropic history and as COUR (Committee on University Resources) Members for Harvard University, Charles and Lynn recently established the Charles C. Zhang and Lynn L. Chen-Zhang Fellowship. The fellowship was established to support students enrolled in the joint HBS and Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences MS/MBA program. Charles and Lynn are pleased to be a part of the community of fellowship donors whose support of financial aid at Harvard Business School enables the school to realize its mission of educating leaders who make a difference in the world.

See https://www.zhangfinancial.com/giving-back/ for more information on Zhang Financial's philanthropic endeavors.