- First woman to serve as the president of the American Physical Society
- Was awarded the National Medal of Science
Born in 1912 in Liuhe, China, Chien-Shuing Wu was a physicist who is often called the “First Lady of Physics”. While growing up, Wu’s father supported her education and inspired her to be hard working and studious. She went to an all girl’s school which was started by her father, and later went to the National Central University to study physics. Chien-Shiung Wu then moved to the United States to attend the University of Michigan, so she could earn her PhD. After moving, she never saw her parents again because of World War II, and the increased control of communist China.
Wu became a part of the research staff at Columbia University to start working on the Manhattan Project. Her work helped the United States build the atomic bomb during World War II. After the war, Wu continued to work at Columbia University as a researcher and professor. She was asked by two male colleagues to help them execute experiments to test a theory of theirs about particle physics. Wu played an important role in refining the experiments, so much so the experiment was named after her. The scientific discovery earned her colleagues a Nobel Prize in 1957, but unfortunately Wu did not receive any credit for her contributions until 1978.
Wu also faced extreme sexism in the workplace. She often found herself correcting people who called her by her husband’s name, and she noticed she got paid considerably less than her male colleagues. This motivated her to fight for gender equality and equal pay throughout her lifetime. Wu managed to rise above the sexism and became the first woman to serve as the president of the American Physical Society. In addition, she won the National Medal of Science in 1976. Wu made major contributions in the field of physics, and we should continue to celebrate her success and accomplishments.
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