Published on Nov. 8, 2017

Andrew Cherng, MS ’72, and Peggy Cherng, MS ’71, PhD ’74

Mizzou students come from across the country and around the world. Born in China, Andrew Cherng lived in Taiwan and Japan before earning a bachelor’s degree from Baker University in Kansas. His wife, Peggy, was born in Myanmar and raised in Hong Kong before attending Baker, where the couple met. The pair then earned graduate degrees at Mizzou. Andrew and Peggy married shortly afterward and in 1983 founded Panda Restaurant Group, which operates the Panda Express chain of more than 1,900 restaurants. Known for its quick-service Asian cuisine, as well as its commitment to employees’ personal development, Forbes named Panda Restaurant Group one of America’s best employers. The Cherngs also are members of the National Restaurant Association’s Hall of Fame. With a Panda Express restaurant just minutes from Jesse Hall at 91 Conley Road, the Cherngs’ spirit is never far from campus.

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