Nationality Chinese Children Ge Yunpei, Ge Yunjian | Spouse Ge Tingsui Died 2008 | |
Fields Amorphous State Physics Alma mater JInlin College
Mount Holyoke College
University of Michigan Ann Arbor Institutions Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing Normal University | ||
He Yizhen (1910-2008) was a physicist in China. She contributed to applying Spectroscopy to the Steel industry in China and to the research in Amorphous state physics. Her research specialty in amorphous physics was metallic glass. She filled up the blank of spectroscopy research in China, and became the first person to measure the whole Internal friction peak of metallic glass. He Yizhen was one of the founders of the Institute of solid state physics: Chinese Academy of Science in Hefei. The institute now employs over 200 staff. The research emphases of the institute are Nuclear engineering, special metallic materials, and internal friction of solid.
Contents
- Elder members
- Siblings
- Husband and children
- Education
- 1937 1939 lecturer in University
- 1941 1949 research assistant in US
- 1949 1952 professor in University
- 1952 1966 steel industry
- 1966 1976 interruption of career
- 1976 1982 metallic glass
- 1982 2008 Institute of Solid State Physics
- Personal life
- Publications after 1980
- Awards and honors
- References
Elder members
He Yizhen was born a scholarly family in 1910, the year that Chinese last dynasty, the Qing Dynasty, was overthrown. Her father, He Cheng, participated in the Xinhai Revolution which subverted the Qing Dynasty. Because He Cheng contributed to political reform, his family became powerful in the new period of history. The new government, the Republic of China was built in 1912.
When Yizhen was born, women with bound feet (a Chinese tradition to keep women’s feet from growing to get visual beauty) were still majority on the street. Yizhen’s grandmother Wang Xiechangda was an open-minded educator and social activist for women’s rights. She believed that women should go to school and argued against bound feet. Wang established Zhehua Women’s School. Yizhen herself and her seven brothers and sisters all graduated from Zhenhua School. Wang did not allow Yizhen to bound her feet. He Yizhen was affected much by her grandmother.
Siblings
He Yizhen was the oldest child in her family, and she had seven siblings: He Zeming, He Zehui, He Zeroing, He Zeying, He Zeyuan, He Zecheng, and He Zeqing. All the eight brothers and sisters became outstanding scientists. He Yizhen, He Zehui, and He Zeying, the three girls of the eight children, were reputed as “Three He sisters” in Chinese scientific circle. He Yizhen had a close relationship with her siblings, especially her two sisters. They had many group photos, which are taken over a long time range.
Husband and children
He Yizhen married Ge Tingsui in 1941 in Shanghai, China. Ge Tingsui was an expert in nuclear physics. The couple studied in the United States from 1941 to 1949, during which their two children were born. After they went back to China in 1949, they both had worked for the Chinese Academy of Science for decades.
He Yizhen and Ge Tingsui had two children. Their interests were affected by parents, as they both became scientists later. The daughter Ge Yunpei (1942-2013) was a professor in Shenyang Jianzhu University. Their son Ge Yunjian, who was born in 1947, is an expert in robot field.
Education
He Yizhen graduated at Zhenhua Girls School at 16, in 1926. She passed the entrance exam of Jinling College and studied Mathematics and Physics there. At twenty years old, in 1930, He Yizhen graduated from Jinling College and started her first short teaching career for one year in a missionary school. Yizhen’s father He Cheng was open-minded. He gave He Yizhen a sum of money for either dowry or abroad tuition. Yizhen understood that as her father’s encouragement for further education. At the same time, Yizhen’s two aunts who lived in America helped her get scholarships from Mount Holyoke College (MHC) and Wellesley College in 1931. She chose MHC to continue her postgraduate education. She obtained a Master’s degree in Chemistry and physics from MHC in 1933. It is said, at first, Yizhen planned to come back to China immediately after graduation, but her mentor recommend her to pursue higher degree. Yizhen’s ambition made her continue Ph.D. education. She gained the physics degree from University of Michigan Ann Arbor in 1937. She was awarded Barbour scholarship from University in Michigan, which was especially built for Asian women. In her Ph.D. research, Yizhen focused on spectroscopy of transition metal.
At her time, a woman in China going into college was rare, let alone studying science. Yizhen’s cousin Wang Mingzhen got study abroad funds from Tsinghua University in China, but the dean of Tsinghua university destroyed her opportunity because of her gender. Yizhen herself, her sister He Zehui, and cousin Wang Mingzhen all had been dissuaded by authorities in the physics field in China, but the three sisters all gained physics Ph.D. in the United States and Germany.
During Yizhen’s time abroad, Japan and China’s war started. Yizhen’s letters to her family show her idealistic political thinking and concern about her country’s destiny. But she was also uncertain about China’s fate, as she asked her father: would China’s revival truly be achieved? He Yizhen finally went back to China during the wartime in 1937.
1937-1939, lecturer in University
In 1937, when China-Japan war began, He Yizhen came back to China. She became a refugee for half a year. Her family moved from Suzhou to Beijing. Because of her father’s close friendship with the principal of Yanjing University (now renamed Beijing Normal University), He Yizhen got a job there. In 1939, He Yizhen left Beijing and began to teach as a lecturer in Donghao University in Shanghai.
1941-1949, research assistant in US
In 1941, when He Yizhen married Ge Tingsui, they decided to study abroad in America. She contacted her old professor and schoolmates in US. Her old mentor Ms. Carr recommended her for a college position. Finally, she became a research assistant of Dr. Ralph A. Beebe at Amherst College. Her research topic was the measurement of thermal adoption in chemistry, rather than spectroscopy. Because she was pregnant, she only stayed in the position for several months. She almost became a housewife then, until the couple came back to China in 1949, and gave birth to two children in 1942 and 1947 respectively. She also worked for short time at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Metal Research Institute of the University of Chicago. In 1949, the year The People’s Republic of China was founded, He Yizhen came back to China with her husband Ge Tingsui.
1949-1952, professor in University
In 1949, He Yizhen started teaching again as a professor in Yanjing University.
1952-1966, steel industry
From 1952, Yizhen started working at the Institute of metal research (Chinese Academy of Sciences). Because during the founding period of China, the country needed practical technology, He Yizhen was asked to improve the production rate of China's steel industry. Yizhen mainly applied her knowledge of spectroscopy to alloy steel and slag analysis in steel industry. She helped solve problems in steel production and propel China’s industrialization. She published two representative papers: “Effect of Microstructure of Steel on Spectral Analysis” and “Cup Electrode Solution Arc Method for Spectral Analysis of Open Hearth Slag”. On behalf of China, she attended the 6th International Conference of Raman Spectroscopy in 1956, in Holland.
1966-1976, interruption of career
From 1966 to 1976, He Yizhen had experienced a scourge of science: the Cultural Revolution of China. Her scientific research interrupted. Intellectuals were targets of political persecution. Because of He Yizhen’s study abroad experience and wealthy background, she was persecuted. For example, she needed to take a stand in the corner every day and introspect. She was also forced to apologize to Chairman Mao’s picture (bow 90 degrees, lasting for half an hour each time). Many Chinese famous writers committed suicide at that time due to humiliation. In 1969, she was dispatched to rural area Panjin to labor for two months as punishment.
1976-1982, metallic glass
When the Cultural Revolution of China ended in 1976, He Yizhen continued her theoretical research. She was a pioneer in exploring amorphous state physic and metallic glass fields. She measured crystallization internal fraction peak of metallic glass and found a new type of internal fraction peak. She published two formative papers: “Effect of the Isothermal Effectiveness Near the Peak of the Metallic Glass Pd80Si20Tg”, and “A New Peak Near Metallic Glass T”. Her papers won the Second Class Prizes of The State Scientific and Technological Progress Award of Chinese Academy of Science in 1988. She then won the Third Class Prizes of The Natural Science Award of Chinese Academy of Science in 1995 and 1996. She was involved in compiling the book Amorphous Physics.
1982-2008, Institute of Solid State Physics
In Oct. 1982, she became one of the founders of Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Science. Yizhen was a pragmatic scientist in Institute of solid state physics. She was one of five scientists who could be called “sir” (an outdated honorific form for intellectuals regardless of gender). She continued her research about metallic glass there.
Personal life
After He Yizhen married Ge Tingsui in 1941, they had been in a complex and delicate relationship through their lives. They had a teacher-student relationship in Yanjing University at first. He Yizhen was a teacher three years older than Ge. Ge was Yizhen’s leader in Institute of Metal Research and Institute of solid state physics later in their lives, so they also had a competitive relationship.
When they first met in Yanjing University, Yizhen was a young lecturer from a rich and influential family. Yizhen never lacked pursuers, including several from overseas. As Ge Tingsui’s family was poor, he spent lots of time courting He Yizhen. Yizhen’s family did not accept Ge at first. More importantly, Ge had experienced pulmonary tuberculosis, which was a fatal disadvantage when a valid treatment was unavailable. Because of all the above, Yizhen needed a lot of courage to marry Ge. Their marriage was a much-told tale in Chinese academic world. Their mutual love letters are still preserved in their biographies. Here is an excerpt of Ge’s love letter: “The frogs’ quack in the river inspires my infinite feelings; a round hedgehog climbing over my foot makes me fall into deep meditation...... I have no chance to press that rustle of the bell anymore! Among the sound of the opening door, I can never see the smile that I love again!”
When they married in 1941, Ge gained the chance to study abroad in America with He Yizhen. During their abroad period, Yizhen accepted a secondary and supportive role. She nurtured two children and supported husband’s academic career. When they came back to China at 1949, Ge Tingsui eventually became a famous scientist in nuclear physics field.
Ge Tingsui had different political belief from Yizhen's father He Cheng. In the early years of their marriage, China’s political environment was still turbulent. Ge wanted to use knowledge to save the country, but Yizhen’s father He Cheng believed that student activity was just useless farce.
In 1980, Ge was dispatched to work in Hefei. Due to Ge’s persistence and their children’s persuasion, Yizhen stopped her work and followed her husband. It is said that Yizhen and Ge Tingsui were both competitive people and wanted to be better than each other. In their late years, the Institute of solid physics had distributed a car to the couple, but each of them did not want to admit his or her weakness in body and argued that the car was for his or her partner. Finally, neither used the car and both went to work on foot.