Chien-Shiung Wu.

CHIEN-Shiung Wu, 1912-1997; NUCLEAR forces (Physics); AMERICAN Physical Society; NUCLEAR physics; NUCLEAR structure; WOMEN in science; WOMEN in physics; PHYSICISTS; BETA decay; RADIOACTIVE decay; DELAYED neutrons; YANG, Chen Ning, 1922-; HISTORY of physics; HISTORY of nuclear research; PHYSICS research; NUCLEAR research; HISTORY

Physicist; Professor

Background information on Chinese-born American physicist Chien-Shiung Wu is presented. The author reviews how Wu is considered one of the foremost woman physicists in the world. She is remembered primarily for her research in nuclear forces and structure, which helped disprove the principle of conservation of parity. Wu was the first woman elected president of the American Physical Society, the first woman to receive an honorary doctorate in science by Princeton University in New Jersey, and the first woman honored with Israel's Wolf Prize. Wu also had an asteroid named after her in 1990; she was the first living scientist to receive that honor. Information on Wu's birth and early life is presented.