Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu: Breaking Barriers

Chien-Shiung Wu was born in 1912 in Shanghai, China where she attended a school started by her father, who was a strong supporter for education for women. Her studies in physics led her to make profound scientific contributions in history. Wu came to America, enrolling in University of California, Berkeley where she completed her Ph.D. She then became a physics professor at Princeton University, and eventually joined the Manhattan Project at Columbia University. Wu worked hard to investigate beta decay and went on to win several awards and honors. Her research helped answer many important scientific questions. She was the first woman to serve as President of the American Physical Society and the first honorary doctorate awarded to a woman at Princeton University. She later published a book in 1965 called Beta Decay that now serves as a standard reference for nuclear physicists. Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu was born in a time where education for women was uncommon and looked down upon in China. She proved herself to be one of the most influential physicists in history and broke past many barriers to achieve the goals she wanted.