Scientific giant falls, science spirit rises

Deep gratitude

Huang always held deep gratitude for the university.

Huang Zhongmin, Party secretary of the College of Geo-Exploration Science and Technology, said "a tutor helped Huang with his luggage when saw him at the train station and sent him to his dorm, and such stories were always recalled by Huang to show how kindly he was treated by the school."

In his life on campus, Huang devoted himself to scientific research.

"Even on the day before his surgery, Huang reminded us to send New Year's cards to overseas Chinese scientists to encourage them to return to China," said Ren Bo, secretary-general of the Western Returned Scholars Association of Jilin University.

Extraordinary scholar, ordinary life

Huang was a professor and scientist with outstanding mental abilities and had collected many advanced scientific achievements.

However, this extraordinary science giant was also a common man who was fond of the three-yuan corn at the gate of the Geology Palace and who regularly had bread and coffee for lunch.

Huang explains physics issues on a stage. [Photo/Xinhua]

He was also a good cook.

"My daughter fell in love with curry after she tasted his curry rice dish," Yu Ping, Huang's assistant, recalled.

Huang would often wear jeans and casual clothing, which made him look more like a fashionable student instead of a senior scholar. He always chatted with his students and brought many gifts to others whenever he returned from other countries.