 He also participated in the Pitzer College ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in September 2014 using only a small glass of ice water, in an effort to raise awareness about the disease and the California drought.Thomas Poon earned his Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Fairfield University in 1990 and a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1995.In an interview, Poon stated that he is the son of an immigrant father.