Maw-Kuen Wu

Taiwanese physicist

吳茂昆

Official portrait, 2018

28th Minister of EducationIn office
19 April 2018 – 30 May 2018Prime MinisterWilliam LaiDeputyYao Leeh-terPreceded byYao Leeh-ter (acting)Succeeded byYao Leeh-ter (acting)6th President of National Dong Hwa UniversityIn office
January 2012 – 23 January 2016Preceded byWen-Shu HwangSucceeded byHan-Chieh Chao11th Minister of the National Science CouncilIn office
20 May 2004 – 25 January 2006Prime MinisterYu Shyi-kun
Frank HsiehPreceded byWei Che-hoSucceeded byChen Chien-jen Personal detailsBorn (1949-12-06) 6 December 1949 (age 74)
Yuli Township, Hualien County, TaiwanNationalityTaiwanPolitical party‹See Tfd›

Democratic Progressive Party Alma materTamkang University
University of HoustonAwardsComstock Prize in Physics (1988)Scientific careerFieldsPhysicsInstitutionsUniversity of Houston
University of Alabama in Huntsville
Columbia University
National Tsing Hua University
National Science Council
Academia Sinica
National Dong Hwa University

Maw-Kuen Wu (Chinese: 吳茂昆; pinyin: Wú Màokūn; born December 6, 1949) is a Taiwanese physicist specializing in superconductivity, low-temperature physics, and high-pressure physics. He was a professor of physics at University of Alabama in Huntsville, Columbia University, and National Tsing Hua University, the Director of the Institute of Physics at Academia Sinica, the president of the National Dong Hwa University, and is currently a distinguished research fellow of the Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica, and international member of National Academy of Sciences.

Life and career

Born in Yuli Township, Hualien County, Wu is an ethnic Hokkien on his paternal side and spent his childhood in Taiwan. He completed his Ph.D. degree at the University of Houston in 1981.

Wu worked as a research scientist at his alma mater for two years, before being taken on as an assistant professor of physics at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and then subsequently promoted to professor in 1987. Along with Chu Ching-wu and Jim Ashburn, Wu made the historic discovery of superconductivity above 77 K in YBCO in 1987.^[1] According to the Science Citation Index by Web of Science, Wu's 1987 work "Superconductivity at 93 K in a new mixed-phase Y-Ba-Cu-O compound system at ambient pressure" in Physical Review Letters (American Physical Society) has been cited for more than five thousand times by journal articles and considered influential in applied science and business.^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5] Wu was then invited to teach at the National Tsing Hua University, and conduct further research in high-temperature superconductivity.

Maw-Kuen Wu first entered the cabinet; served as minister of the National Science Council from 2004 to 2006. In 2018, he was named as the minister of the Ministry of Education and resigned after 41 days.^[6]^[7] Wu was subsequently impeached by the Control Yuan, which charged him with violating the Public Functionary Service Act and the Act on the Recusal of Public Servants Due to Conflict of Interest.^[8]

Personal life

Maw-Kuen Wu and his wife have two children.

Academic Honors

1988 USA Chinese Association of Engineering Annual Award
1988 State of Alabama Resolution
1988 University of Alabama Research Award
1988 U.S.A. National Academy of Sciences Comstock Prize
1989 Tamkang Golden Eagle Award
1994 Fellow, Chinese Physical Society
1994 Bernd T. Matthias Prize
1995 Y. T. Lee Outstanding Scientist Award
1998 NASA Special Awards
1998 Member, Academia Sinica^[9]
2007 Ettore Majorana-Erice-Science for Peace Prize
2009 Taiwanese-American Foundation (TAF) Award
2010-03 Germany Humboldt Research Award

References

^ M. K. Wu; J. R. Ashburn; C. J. Torng; P. H. Hor; R. L. Meng; L. Gao; Z. J. Huang; Y. Q. Wang & C. W. Chu (1987). "Superconductivity at 93 K in a new mixed-phase Y-Ba-Cu-O compound system at ambient pressure". Phys. Rev. Lett. 58 (9): 908–910. Bibcode:1987PhRvL..58..908W. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.58.908. PMID 10035069.
^ "IN THE TRENCHES OF SCIENCE". New York Times. 1987-08-16.
^ "Suspension Effect Astounds Scientists". New York Times. 1988-09-20.
^ "Method for making superconductor films". 1991-12-13.
^ "Heating up of Superconductors". Physical Review Letters. 2017.
^ "Education minister's resignation approved: Cabinet spokesman". Central News Agency. 29 May 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
^ "Taiwan Cabinet confirms approval of new education minister's resignation". Taiwan News. 29 May 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
^ Tu, Aaron; Chien, Huei-ru (4 July 2018). "Control Yuan impeaches Wu Maw-kuen". Taipei Times. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
^ "Maw-Kuen Wu". Academia Sinica. Retrieved 10 September 2023.