Congratulations to Dr Christopher J Tien, who is one of a select group of University of Florida alumni named to this year’s prestigious 40 Gators Under 40 list. The annual awards program was established in 2006 to recognize alumni under the age of 40 whose achievements positively reflect on The Gator Nation®. Honorees for the competitive award must demonstrate (1) significant impact on their industry, and (2) notable civic or professional accomplishments at the state, national or international level, among other criteria.
“The 40 Gators Under 40 class of 2025 demonstrates the incredible impact Gators have on society,” said Heather Ashley, interim executive director of the UF Alumni Association. “This year’s honorees are extraordinary leaders and committed visionaries who consistently exceed expectations and leave profound marks on their organizations, industries and communities. We take immense pride in honoring these outstanding individuals, whose accomplishments shine a light on The Gator Nation® and its capacity to influence positive change on a global scale.”
The 40 Gators Under 40 awards program recognizes graduates from all UF’s 16 colleges. This year’s honorees range from artists and educators to entrepreneurs and engineers, representing the breadth and depth of UF-fostered expertise. Past award winners include Congresswoman Emilia Strong Sykes, NASCAR leader Benjamin Kennedy, TV sportscaster Laura Rutledge and Olympic gold-medal triple jumper Christian Taylor.
Dr Tien, a University of Florida Medical Physics alumnus, earned his PhD in 2011. Currently working as an Associate Professor at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, he is the lead brachytherapy physicist in the Department of Therapeutic Radiology. In addition to his appointments at Yale, Dr Tien is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Board certified in therapeutic medical physics by the American Board of Radiology, his current translational research is largely inspired by his clinical duties in brachytherapy applications (gynecological, prostate, ocular, and skin) and radiobiological modeling. In 2024, Dr Tien was elected as a Fellow of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), making him one of the youngest elected Fellows in the AAPM’s 66 year history. With AAPM, he currently serves as the chair of the national AAPM Task Group on high-dose-rate brachytherapy (TG59). He has served terms on the national AAPM Board of Directors and as the president of the Connecticut chapter of AAPM. He is a member of the national AAPM Medical Physics Education Subcommittee and ABS National Education Subcommittee. Dr Tien is also a full member of the American Brachytherapy Society (ABS), the American Society of Radiation Oncology, and the Yale Cancer Center.
The 170-year-old University of Florida has 480,000 alumni residing in every U.S. state and in more than 150 countries. The university has a long history of established programs in national and international education, research and service, and is one of only 17 public land-grant universities in the prestigious Association of American Universities. The UF Alumni Association oversees a network of nearly 80 Gator Clubs, actively recruits superior students and hosts outreach and on-campus programs to deepen alumni’s connections with their alma mater. To learn more, visit ufalumni.ufl.edu.