Xiangzhong Yang facts for kids

Xiangzhong "Jerry" Yang (simplified Chinese: 杨向中; traditional Chinese: 楊向中; pinyin: Yáng Xiàngzhōng) was a famous Chinese-American scientist. He worked in biotechnology, which is about using living things to make new products. He also supported stem cell research. In 1999, he made history by creating the first cloned farm animal in the United States. This animal was a cow named "Amy".

Early Life and Education

Jerry Yang was born on July 31, 1959, in Wei County, Hebei, China. He grew up there and later went to Beijing Agricultural University. This school is now called China Agricultural University.

After he finished university, Jerry took a special test for graduate school. He did so well that he was ranked first among all students in his area of study. Because of this, he won an important scholarship from the Ministry of Agriculture. This scholarship allowed him to study in the United States.

Jerry moved to the United States in 1983. He continued his studies and earned his PhD degree in 1991.

Research and Achievements

After getting his PhD, Jerry Yang became a researcher at Cornell University. He received many grants, which are like money awards, to help with his research. These grants came from places like the Cornell Biotechnology Center.

In 1996, he joined the University of Connecticut as a professor. His work there became very important. In 2001, he helped start the University's Center for Regenerative Biology. He was the first director of this new center.

Cloning "Amy"

One of Jerry Yang's biggest achievements happened in 1999. He successfully created the first cloned farm animal in the United States. This animal was a cow, and her name was "Amy." Cloning means making an exact copy of an animal. This was a huge step forward in science.

Honoring His Work

Jerry Yang's research brought a lot of fame to the University of Connecticut. In November 2017, the university honored him in a special way. They named the road leading to the University of Connecticut Dairy Bar "Jerry Yang Road." This road is also where the Agricultural Biotechnology Laboratory is located. Jerry spent countless hours doing research in that lab.

Later Life

In 1996, Jerry Yang was diagnosed with a type of cancer. He continued his important work for many years. On February 5, 2009, he passed away at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. He was 49 years old. A science magazine called Nature published an obituary about him.