World-renowned physicist Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu graduated from the National Central University in Nanjing, China, and then went to the United States for advanced study specializing in physics. She received her Ph. D. degree from the University of California at Berkley in 1940. During the Second World War, she was invited by the U.S. government to participate in the top-secret Manhattan Project. The purpose of the project was to develop the atomic bomb. The success of the project greatly shortened the war against Japan. Owing to her involvement in this highly secretive war project, she was unable to return to China and serve her country. Consequently, she turned to teaching and research in the U.S., serving at several universities, such as Smith College, Princeton University, and Columbia University. Among these institutions, she spent most of her time, over 40 years, at Columbia University, where she published a large number of scientific papers and trained many top students from around the world. It was in the specialized field of nuclear weak interactions that she performed many crucial experiments, including the one in 1956 that demonstrated the validity of the theory of "parity non-conservation in weak interactions" which was proposed by Drs. Lee and Yang. Not only did this experiment win the praise and respect of physicists world-wide, it also resulted in Drs. Lee and Yang receiving the Nobel Prize for their theory.

　　In the course of her prestigious career, Dr. Wu was the recipient of the U.S. National Science Medal and the Comstock Prize from the U.S. Academy of Sciences. She was the first female president of the American Physical Society as well as the first woman to receive an Honorary Doctorate of Science degree in the 107-year history of the graduate school at Princeton University. Furthermore, she was the recipient of the highest scientific honor in the U.S., the Pupin Medal from Columbia University. Dr. Wu received more than 40 honors and honorary degrees from around the world in recognition of her accomplishments.

　　Following her retirement from Columbia University in 1985, the university named part of the new Physics and Engineering Research Center building the Wu Chien-Shiung Physics Laboratories in commemoration for her outstanding contributions. Located next to the old Pupin Physics Building, the Wu Chien-Shiung Physics Laboratories will serve as a lasting tribute to her and an honor to Chinese people all over the world.