Susan Wu

Susan Wu
Born	Ying Chu Lin Wu June 26, 1932 (1932-06-26) Beijing, China
Died	May 19, 2020 (2020-05-20) (aged 87)
Other names	Y.C.L. Susan Wu
Education	Mechanical Engineering in National Taiwan University (1951), Aeronautics (PHD) California Institute of Technology (1963)
Occupation(s)	President and CEO of ERC, Chairman of Information Technology Subcommittee, Professor in University of Tennessee Space Institute in Tullahoma, Presidential Appointee on National Air and Space Museum Advisory Board
Scientific career
Thesis	Flow Generated by Suddenly Heated Flat Plate  (1963)

Ying Chu Lin (Susan) Wu (July 26, 1932 - May 19, 2020) was a Chinese-born American businesswoman and engineer in magnetohydrodynamics, aeronautics, and aerospace engineering.

Education and career

Wu was born in Peking, China studied mechanical engineering at National Taiwan University, ^[1] and earned a B.S. in 1955. ^[2] She moved to the United States in 1957 ^[3] and earned an M.S. from Ohio State University in 1959 ^[2] before moving to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), ^[1] where she became the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in aeronautics in 1963. ^[4] Wu worked at Electro-Optics Corporation for two years. ^[5] In 1965 she joined the faculty at the University of Tennessee Space Institute where she was promoted to professor in 1973. ^[2] In 1988, she founded ERC, Engineering Research and Consulting, a company in the defense and space industries, which is now Astrion. ^{[6] [7]}

Wu's research centered on magnetohydrodynamic generators. ^[2] She served on the National Air and Space Museum Advisory Board from 1993 to 2000 ^[8] and spoke to the United States House of Representatives about magnetohydrodynamic generators. ^[9]

Awards and honors

Wu received an Amelia Earhart fellowship from Zonta International in 1960 while working on her Ph.D. degree. ^[10] In 1985 she received the Society of Women Engineers Achievement Award. ^{[3] [11]} In 1996, Wu was recognized by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, where she was an associate fellow, ^[12] for her work which led to space weather prediction. ^{[13] [ better source needed ]} In 2013 Wu received a distinguished alumni award from Caltech. ^[14]

Selected publications

• Wu, Y. C. L. (1976-10-01). "Performance theory of diagonal conducting wall MHD generators" . AIAA Journal. 14 (10): 1362–1368. Bibcode:1976AIAAJ..14.1362W. doi:10.2514/3.7227. ISSN   0001-1452.
• Wu, Y. C. L.; Dicks, J. B.; Denzel, D. L.; Witkowski, S.; Shanklin, R. V.; Zitzow, U.; Chang, P.; Jett, E. S. (1968). "MHD generator in two-terminal operation" . AIAA Journal. 6 (9): 1651–1657. Bibcode:1968AIAAJ...6.1651D. doi:10.2514/3.4841. ISSN   0001-1452.
• Wu, Y. C. L. (1976). "Performance theory of diagonal conducting wall MHD generators" . AIAA Journal. 14 (10): 1362–1368. Bibcode:1976AIAAJ..14.1362W. doi:10.2514/3.7227. ISSN   0001-1452.
• Lineberry, J. T.; Galanga, F. L.; Liu, B. L.; Wu, Y. C. L.; Scott, M. H.; Pan, Y. C.; Doss, E. D. (1982). "Comparison of Experimental Results from the UTSI Coal-Fired MHD Generator to Theoretical Predictions" . Journal of Energy. 6 (3): 187–195. doi:10.2514/3.62589. ISSN   0146-0412.
• Attig, R. C.; Chapman, J. N.; Sheth, A. C.; Wu, Y. C. L. S. (1988-11-01). "Emission control by magnetohydrodynamics". CHEMTECH; (United States). 18 (11).

References

1. "Amelia Earhart Scholarships Are Awarded to Four Women by Zonta". Statesman Journal. 1959-07-05. p. 16. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
2. Wayne, Tiffany K. (2011). American Women of Science Since 1900. ABC-CLIO. p. 988. ISBN   978-1-59884-158-9.
3. McMurray, Emily J. (1995). Notable Twentieth-century Scientists: S - Z. Internet Archive. New York [u.a.] : Gale Research. p. 2268. ISBN   978-0-8103-9185-7.
4. "Caltech Aerospace (GALCIT) | News | Dr. Susan Wu 1932-2020: GALCIT's First Female PhD". Caltech Aerospace (GALCIT). Retrieved 2021-04-19.
5. "Caltech Connect by Caltech Alumni Association". Caltech Connect. 2013. p. 9. Retrieved 2022-04-12– via Issuu.
6. "Who We Are - Our Story". Astrion. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
7. "Who We Are - Our Story, ERC and Oasis Systems". Astrion. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
8. "Dr. Ying-Chu Lin (Susan) Wu | National Air and Space Museum". airandspace.si.edu. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
9. United States Congress House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Dept of the Interior and Related Agencies (1985). Department of the Interior and related agencies appropriations for 1986: hearings before a subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, Ninety-ninth Congress, first session. U.S. Government Printing Office.
10. "Two aviation events held for Zontians". The San Bernardino County Sun. 1960-01-10. p. 41. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
11. "SWE Awards". ETHW. 2016-02-16. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
12. "July/August 2020 AIAA Bulletin". Aerospace America. 2020-06-30. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
13. "Plasmadynamics and Lasers Award - AIAA Info". studylib.net. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
14. "Caltech names Huntsville businesswoman Dr. Susan Wu one of its alumni of the year". al. 2013-03-21. Retrieved 2021-04-19.

External links

• ERC, Engineering Research and Consulting, Inc.