As vice chancellor of research, Dr. Tien achieved accomplishments that still win praise today. One of them is that research funds raised from the government and the private sector surpassed US $ 100 million for the first time. Another was his success in calming a storm of protest by animal rights groups over animal experimentation.
田長霖任研究副校長時，更有兩次表現至今受人稱道：其一是向政府及各界募得的研究經費，首度超過一億美元；第二是平息了動物保護組織抗議柏克萊用動物做實驗的軒然大波。