A Lifelong Commitment: Tai R. Shin’s $6M Gift to Advance Cancer Research

A cancer diagnosis changes everything. For Tai R. (Terry) Shin, his own experience and that of his late wife, You H. (Catherine) Shin, facing the disease, ignited a determination to do something about it. That determination is now the heart of a $6 million gift to advance cancer research across the University of Illinois System.

Shin’s investment will fund a systemwide research award, a named chair at the Cancer Center at Illinois (Urbana), and a named directorship at the University of Illinois Cancer Center (Chicago). This most recent gift is Shin’s largest to the University of Illinois and is perhaps the most personal.

“I am so enthusiastic to support this effort. The University of Illinois is my alma mater, and I am really looking forward to the success and application of the research endeavors,” said Shin. “I will relentlessly do what I can to help in cancer research and clinical outcomes. I am sure the University of Illinois will come through, and I am very excited to be involved in supporting this effort.”

Tim Killeen, president of the University of Illinois System, said Shin’s dedication to the cause of defeating cancer is both inspiring and timely.

“Dr. Shin has been a legendary supporter of the U of I System and an inspirational role model as a philanthropist,” Killeen said. “At a time when we are especially thankful for each dollar that enables this important research, he observed an opportunity to help and stepped forward to explore how to leverage the greatest impact from his extremely generous support.”

Shin arrived in the United States from South Korea with his late wife in 1973, facing economic uncertainty, language barriers, and the challenge of navigating an unfamiliar country. The University of Illinois Urbana‑Champaign helped them find their footing. He earned a master’s degree in food science in 1977 and proceeded to found Swagger Foods Corporation, a Vernon‑Hills‑based spice and dry goods company, in 1978. Then, at 65, Shin returned to the Urbana campus to earn his doctorate in food science and human nutrition. Shin credits the University of Illinois Urbana‑Champaign for giving him the tools he needed to build something meaningful and lasting.

Now, he is continuing to give back, building a legacy in cancer research.

The Tai R. Shin Vision Award in Cancer Research, overseen by the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, will support faculty and staff across all three universities in the University of Illinois System. The award is designed to reach promising researchers at critical moments in their careers to help them accelerate discoveries.

In Urbana, Shin’s gift will endow the Tai R. Shin Chair in Cancer Research, a named position that will fund a distinguished leader committed to advancing the mission of the Cancer Center at Illinois. In Chicago, the gift will name the Tai R. Shin Director, recognizing the leader of the University of Illinois Cancer Center, a vital research and clinical cancer center at the University of Illinois Chicago.

Together, the three components of this gift reflect a vision that is both system‑wide and strategic by supporting individual investigators, anchoring leadership positions, and creating recognition that will draw talent to these important centers for generations.

The Cancer Center at Illinois recently earned prestigious National Cancer Institute Designation, so the seven‑figure gift from Shin is particularly well‑timed. “The generosity shown by Dr. Shin will support our nationally unique mission and will bolster our efforts to help society in the battle against cancer using CCIL’s ‘Discovery to Use’ research,” said Rohit Bhargava, the Phillip and Ann Sharp Director of the Cancer Center at Illinois.

The University of Illinois Cancer Center in Chicago is dedicated to innovative research that reduces cancer disparities, promotes health equity, and improves patient outcomes. “It is very exciting to receive this exceptional gift from Dr. Shin,” said Jan Kitajewski, director of the Cancer Center. “A named directorship will create elevated, long‑term benefits to help us expand the best in clinical cancer research and care, with impact felt across the state and nation.”  

This gift is a continuation of the Shin family’s generosity. He and his late wife established the Dr. Tai R. Shin and Mrs. You H. Shin Humanitarian Award in 2022. This was also a University of Illinois System‑wide gift that honors individuals whose work has had an exemplary impact on humanity. Additionally, Shin has supported UI Food Science and Human Nutrition and has created scholarships to help students access the same education that transformed his own life.

For a man who began his American journey with uncertainty and determination, the investment reflects something he has long believed: the University of Illinois changes lives, and supporting that through philanthropy will ensure it continues for the sake of researchers, patients, and families facing the formidable challenge of cancer.