Zhang Guangdou (born May 1, 1912, Changshu

Changshu

Changshu is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Suzhou, and is located in the south-eastern part of eastern-China’s Jiangsu Province as well as the Yangtze River Delta...

, Jiangsu Province) is a world-known specialist in hydraulic engineering, a professor at Tsinghua University

Tsinghua University

Tsinghua University , colloquially known in Chinese as Qinghua, is a university in Beijing, China. The school is one of the nine universities of the C9 League. It was established in 1911 under the name "Tsinghua Xuetang" or "Tsinghua College" and was renamed the "Tsinghua School" one year later...

, and a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

Chinese Academy of Sciences

The Chinese Academy of Sciences , formerly known as Academia Sinica, is the national academy for the natural sciences of the People's Republic of China. It is an institution of the State Council of China. It is headquartered in Beijing, with institutes all over the People's Republic of China...

 and Chinese Academy of Engineering

Chinese Academy of Engineering

The Chinese Academy of Engineering is the national academy of the People's Republic of China for engineering. It was established in 1994 and is an institution of the State Council of China...

.

Biography

Guangdou graduated from Chiao Tung University (currently Xi'an Jiaotong University

Xi'an Jiaotong University

Xi'an Jiaotong University , also known as Xi'an Chiao Tung University, is a top Chinese university located in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, People's Republic of China. Xi'an Jiaotong University is located in Xi'an, the ancient capital of China...

 and Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Shanghai Jiao Tong University or SJTU), sometimes referred to as Shanghai Jiaotong University , is a top public research university located in Shanghai, China. Shanghai Jiao Tong University is known as one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in China...

) in 1934, obtained his Master degree in Civil Engineering

Civil engineering

Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...

 from University of California, Berkeley

University of California, Berkeley

The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...

 in 1936, and Master degree in Engineering Mechanics from Harvard University

Harvard University

Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...

 in 1937.

Zhang Guangdou is a world-renowned scientist and engineer. He was the chief designer of the Miyun Reservoir and Yuzixi powerplant. He has also involved in the design of many major hydraulic and hydropower projects, including the Sanmenxia Dam

Sanmenxia Dam

The Sanmenxia Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the middle-reaches of the Yellow River near Sanmenxia on the border Shanxi and Henan Province, China. The dam is multi-purpose and was constructed for flood and ice control along with irrigation, hydroelectric power production and navigation....

, the Dan Jiangkou Project, the Ge Zhouba Project, the Er-tan Powerplant, the Ge-heyan Powerplant, Three Gorges Project

Three Gorges Dam

The Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric dam that spans the Yangtze River by the town of Sandouping, located in the Yiling District of Yichang, in Hubei province, China...

, and the Xiao Langdi Project.

He has been honored by numerous awards from China and abroad, including the Haas International Award from UC Berkeley (1981), the National Award for Technology Advancement (2nd Prize, 1985), the He-Lang-He-Li Technology Advancement Award (1995), and the Technology Achievement Award from Chinese Academy of Engineering (1996). He was elected to the Chinese Academy of Sciences

Chinese Academy of Sciences

The Chinese Academy of Sciences , formerly known as Academia Sinica, is the national academy for the natural sciences of the People's Republic of China. It is an institution of the State Council of China. It is headquartered in Beijing, with institutes all over the People's Republic of China...

 in 1955, and the Chinese Academy of Engineering

Chinese Academy of Engineering

The Chinese Academy of Engineering is the national academy of the People's Republic of China for engineering. It was established in 1994 and is an institution of the State Council of China...

in 1994. He was also elected as a foreign member of Mexico National Academy of Engineering in 1981.