Fumiko Yonezawa
Fumiko Yonezawa | |
|---|---|
| Born | 19 October 1938 Suita, Osaka, Japan |
| Died | 17 January 2019 (aged 80) Tokyo, Japan |
| Occupation | Theoretical physicist |
| Known for | First female President of the Physical Society of Japan; pioneering work on semiconductors and liquid metals; computer simulation visualization in physics |
Fumiko Yonezawa (Japanese: 米沢 富美子; 19 October 1938 – 17 January 2019) was a distinguished Japanese theoretical physicist, recognized as the first woman to serve as President of the Physical Society of Japan and notably the inaugural Japanese student at Keele University in the United Kingdom. She played a key role in establishing the Department of Physics within Keio University's Faculty of Science and Technology. Her scientific investigations centered on semiconductors and liquid metals, where she was a trailblazer in utilizing computer simulation visualization techniques in physics.
Early life and education
Yonezawa was born in Suita, Osaka. After losing her father during World War II, she was raised by her mother alongside her sister and grandmother. She completed her secondary education at Ibaraki High School in Osaka before obtaining her BSc, MSc, and PhD degrees from Kyoto University. While pursuing her doctorate, she conducted research under the guidance of Professor Roy McWeeny at Keele University.
Academic career
Yonezawa initiated her academic journey in Kyoto and Tokyo, contributing significant publications on the Coherent Potential Approximation (CPA). In 1972, following her husband's work relocation to the northeastern United States, she held research positions at Yeshiva University and the CUNY Graduate Center.
Upon returning to Japan in 1976, she was appointed Associate Professor at Kyoto University's Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics. In 1981, she became part of the founding faculty of Keio University’s newly created Department of Physics and was promoted to full Professor by 1983. There, she led research groups employing computer visualization methods to simulate amorphous structures.
In 1996, Yonezawa made history as the first female President of the Physical Society of Japan. She retired from Keio University in 2004 with the title of professor emerita.
Recognitions
Her outstanding contributions to physics earned her numerous honors, including the Saruhashi Prize in 1984 and the L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science in 2005, acknowledging her groundbreaking theoretical and computational work on amorphous semiconductors and liquid metals.
Personal life
Yonezawa was married to Masaharu Yonezawa (1936–1996), an economics graduate from Kyoto University. The couple had three daughters. In 1963, when Masaharu received an assignment to study at the London School of Economics, company regulations prohibited spouses from accompanying him. Demonstrating remarkable determination, Fumiko contacted thirty UK university vice-chancellors requesting scholarship opportunities and received two affirmative replies. She chose Keele University, allowing them to reunite on weekends during their respective studies.
Masaharu died in 1996 at age 60.
Health problems and death
Having overcome breast cancer in 1984, Yonezawa later suffered a cerebral infarction in April 2018 but showed temporary recovery. She passed away from congestive heart failure at her residence in Tokyo on 17 January 2019, aged 80.
Legacy
- The Physical Society of Japan created the Fumiko Yonezawa Memorial Prize to annually recognize outstanding female physicists.
- In 1995, Suita City inaugurated the Fumiko Yonezawa Children's Science Award, with Yonezawa participating on its selection committee until her passing; this award continues to motivate young scientific talent.
- Following her death, Keio University established a Fumiko Yonezawa Award dedicated to supporting female scientists.
- In 2023, Keele University installed a commemorative plaque honoring their first Japanese student, Fumiko Yonezawa.
Selected publications
- Yonezawa, F., & Morigaki, K. (1973). Coherent Potential Approximation. Progress of Theoretical Physics Supplement, 53, 1–76.
- Nosé, S., & Yonezawa, F. (1986). Computer simulations under isothermal–isobaric conditions examining melting and crystallization in a Lennard-Jones system. The Journal of Chemical Physics, 84(3), 1803.
- Yonezawa, F. (1968). A Systematic Approach to the Problems of Random Lattices. I: A Self-Contained First-Order Approximation Taking into Account the Exclusion Effect. Progress of Theoretical Physics, 40(4), 734–757.
- Yonezawa, F., & Matsubara, T. (1966). Note on Electronic State of Random Lattice. II. Progress of Theoretical Physics, 35(3), 357–379.
Further reading
External links
- , L’Oréal Foundation
- https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/7936737.york-to-be-big-in-japan/
- 1938 births
- 2019 deaths
- People from Suita
- Japanese theoretical physicists
- Japanese women physicists
- Kyoto University alumni
- L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science laureates
- 20th-century Japanese physicists
- 21st-century Japanese physicists
- 20th-century Japanese women scientists
- 21st-century Japanese women scientists
- Presidents of the Physical Society of Japan
- Scientists from Osaka Prefecture