Duarte, California, August 16, 2013 – Dr. David T. Hon, the CEO and Founder of DAHON, the world leader in folding bikes, has been nominated for the University of California, Berkeley Excellence in Achievement Award for “his contributions in high-power lasers as well as his role in revolutionizing the modern-day folding bicycle.”

The annual prize is given to prominent Cal alumni with records of exceptional career achievement. Dr. Hon has been recognized for his work and extensive contribution to green mobility within the international bicycle industry and by various organizations and groups.

Among his many awards, Dr. Hon has been presented with the Taiwan Na­tion­al Award for Inventors, the Geneva Inventions Convention Environmental Award and the Outstanding Entrepreneur of Asia Award – along with numerous Eurobike and other industry awards including a special recognition award from Bike Europe for his contributions to the cycling industry.

Dr. Hon graduated in the class of 1964 with a BA in Physics, progressing to complete his Ph.D. at the University of Southern California in 1971. During his graduate years as an NSF and NASA scholar, Dr. Hon also held positions at California Poly­technic and the University of Southern California as a Senior Lecturer and Assistant Professor.

In 1971 he joined the Hughes Aircraft Company and its prestigious Research Labs where he co-authored the widely used “Laser Handbook” and invented a pulse shortening scheme by SBS in tapered waveguide that is now widely used in powerful lasers. In pursuit of more attainable solutions in solving environmental problems, he started in the bicycle industry in 1981. Some of the nearly 300 different patents he helped develop to improve folding bike technologies have today become industry standards.