Published by: Converged Media Center Edited by: Chen Zichuan
WUST News On January 6, 2025, the 2025 Hubei Provincial Science and Technology Innovation Conference kicked off at the Hongshan Assembly Hall in Wuhan. WUST Professor Ding Wenhong, the winner of the National Outstanding Engineer Award, made history by becoming the only female scientist to walk on the "Red Carpet for Academicians and Experts" on that day.
Dressed in a light-colored suit with a scarf and a red shawl, Professor Ding received a warm round of applause as she stepped onto the red carpet. In the interview, she said, "Our team's biggest expectation for 2025 is to overcome the challenges of materials in the development of new energy. We are currently working on developing a new type of bimetallic composite material that is resistant to corrosion, invasion, and bacteria. We hope to apply it directly to the hydrogen storage and production industries in 2025." She also encouraged young female scientists to take on more prominent roles in science and technology, emphasizing that women can achieve even greater things when they embrace their potential.
After receiving her Master's degree in Metallurgical Machinery from our university in 1992, Professor Ding has remained at the forefront of steel technology development for the past 32 years. She has helped end China's dependence on imported large-scale cold-rolling technology and solved the global challenge of controlling residual stress. By innovating traditional quenching and tempering residual stress control techniques, Professor Ding's team has developed over 20 types of low-stress ultra-high-strength steel products and set several world records. These achievements have been adopted by major steel companies such as China Baowu and have been exported to steel powerhouses in Europe and the US. In the past three years, these innovations have brought nearly 1.6 billion yuan in additional profits to the companies .
In January 2024, the Central Committee of the CPC and the State Council launched the "National Engineer Award" for the first time, honoring 81 "National Outstanding Engineers," including five female engineers, one of whom is Professor Ding.
As the only female scientist to walk on the "Red Carpet for Academicians and Experts", Professor Ding attracted significant media attention. Hubei Daily, Jimu News and other media featured special reports on her.
In the early stages, Hubei Satellite TV made a special trip to interview Professor Ding at the university. On January 7, 2025, Hubei Satellite TV's Hubei News column broadcast a segment titled "Hubei Scientists: Dedication in Technology, Striving for Innovation", which highlighted Professor Ding's achievements in the steel technology development over the past three decades.
In the interview, the President of WUST, Ni Hongwei said that in recent years, the university has been focusing on "51020" modern industrial clusters, leveraging its academic strengths, and strengthening cooperation with leading enterprises in Hubei, contributing to the province's efforts to become a national hub for scientific and technological innovation.
This year marks the sixth consecutive year that Hubei has honored scientists with the "Avenue of Stars", highlighting the province's deep respect for innovative talents. At the event, young members of the Young Pioneers presented flowers to the scientists and saluted them. The archway at the starting point of the red carpet bore the prominent slogan: "Enhance Confidence, Aim High, and Work Together". (Converged Media Center)
