Chen-Ning Yang, Nobel Prize-winning physicist and founder of the Institute for Theoretical Physics at Stony Brook University, died on October 18 at the age of 103. Yang joined Stony Brook in 1966, significantly shaping the university’s development and its global reputation in the sciences. He continued to contribute as professor emeritus for decades after his retirement.
Stony Brook University President Andrea Goldsmith commented, “The world has lost one of the most influential physicists of the modern era, and Stony Brook has lost a revered friend, visionary and former faculty leader. C.N. Yang’s profound intellect, generous spirit and endless curiosity formed the foundation of the University’s current excellence in theoretical physics and the sciences more generally. His legacy will continue through his transformational impact on the field of physics and through the many colleagues and students influenced by his teaching, scholarship and mentorship.”
Yang was recruited from the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton by Stony Brook’s founding president, John Toll, to serve as the Albert Einstein Professor of Physics and founding director of what would become the C.N. Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics (YITP). Yang later reflected on this move: “It was a difficult decision. I had asked myself many times whether the decision was correct, and my answer has always been, ‘It is correct.’ I think that my coming to Stony Brook opened a new chapter of my life. I think it’s a rewarding chapter.”
In 1957, Yang and Tsung-Dao Lee were awarded the Nobel Prize for their work on the weak interaction, which explains radioactive decay. Yang-Mills Theory, developed by Yang, has had a lasting impact on both physics and mathematics, with applications such as the Yang-Mills-Higgs equations now widely used in describing particle interactions.
Richard Gelfond, chair of the Stony Brook Foundation Board of Trustees, said, “C.N. Yang was the piece of the puzzle that set Stony Brook on its trajectory. His recruitment, less than a decade after he won the Nobel Prize, brought our campus onto the global stage and let the world know this University was committed to becoming a world-class institution.”
Since its founding, YITP has expanded its research scope and reputation, attracting major grants from organizations such as the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, NASA, Simons Foundation, and Heising-Simons Foundation. The institute currently includes 12 faculty members, 30 graduate students, and seven postdoctoral fellows.
Notable among YITP faculty is Peter Van Nieuwenhuizen, whose work on supergravity was recognized with the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics in 2019. George Sterman, who succeeded Van Nieuwenhuizen as director, noted, “His leadership and profound intellectual curiosity set the tone and pace for the Institute. He did not dictate the direction of our investigations, but his personal example — his unmatched drive for discovery — established a benchmark that all of us continue to strive for today.”
Yang developed a close academic relationship with mathematician James Simons, who was hired by Stony Brook in 1968. Their collaboration brought together mathematics and physics, notably through work on fiber bundles. This partnership influenced Simons’ philanthropy, leading to the creation of the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics at Stony Brook, which maintains close ties with YITP.
Yang also played a significant role in fostering academic connections between China and the United States, helping attract talented students and faculty from China to Stony Brook. The university has developed partnerships with leading Chinese institutions such as Tsinghua University, Peking University, Nanjing University, University of Science and Technology of China, and Xi’an Jiaotong University.
The C.N. Yang-Deng Wei Endowed Chair in Physics and Astronomy was established by Chinese business leader Wei Deng, with Professor Alexander B. Zamolodchikov currently holding the chair. Zamolodchikov said at his investiture ceremony, “I take it as an extraordinary honor to accept the position associated with the name of C.N. Yang, whose status in theoretical physics is nothing short of legendary.”
“When planning for a year, plant corn.
When planning for a decade, plant trees.
When planning for life, train and educate people.”
~ Chinese Proverb