Professor Accused Of Hiding Ties To China Reinstated At Tennessee University

Photo Credit: Anming Hu – Facebook / jpellgen (@1179_jp) – CC

The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –

Anming Hu, a nanotechnology expert, has been reinstated with tenure to his position at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Hu was accused of hiding the fact that he worked a summer job at the Beijing University of Technology at the same time that he was receiving research grants from NASA. 

According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, Hu’s lawyer Phil Lomonaco said that he has received $300 thousand in funding to restart his research program and has been provided with lab space similar to what he had before his arrest two years ago.

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In February 2020, Hu was charged with wire fraud and making false statements. When the case went to trial in June, the jury deadlocked. The U.S. Department of Justice attempted to prosecute him a second time but a federal judge acquitted him before the case went before a jury.

Hu, who began teaching at UT Knoxville in 2013 was invited by a fellow professor to help apply for research grants from NASA. A 2012 law forbids NASA from collaborating with China or Chinese companies and the government took that law to include Chinese universities also.

After he was acquitted, the university made an offer to reinstate Hu immediately but his immigration status made getting his job back a challenge. Hu, a naturalized Canadian citizen, needed to get the proper work visa before returning to UT Knoxville. 

The university had been assisting with Hu’s application and renewals for his temporary work visa and his petition for permanent resident (“green card”) status since 2013 but all that stopped with his arrest in 2020. In August of that year, U.S. Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) closed Hu’s application for permanent residence because of the pending criminal charges against him and then a month later USCIS revoked his work permit as he had not traveled to Canada to process the necessary paperwork there. Hu was in federal custody at the time and unable to travel.

Once acquitted in September 2021, it took some time and help to get the work permit authorized. U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett (TN-02) and his office were among some of the people who aided Hu in getting the paperwork authorized promptly.

About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.