Gao Zhentong (1928.11—) is a professor and PhD supervisor in the School of Aeronautic Science and Engineering, Beihang University and a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (elected in 1991).

After graduation from the Department of Aeronautics of Peiyang University (now known as Tianjin University) in 1950, Prof. Gao took the position of teaching assistant at Tsinghua University. Since 1952, he has worked as the director of Mechanics of Materials Laboratory and director of Research Center of Solid Mechanics at Beijing Institute of Aeronautics (now known as Beihang University). He also served as a technical adviser to eight aircraft manufacturers and research institutes, and was a professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the chairman or committee member of several international academic conferences.

Prof. Gao is a famous expert in structural fatigue, and he founded the subject of fatigue statistics in China. He was previously in charge of the independent design and development of China’s first photo elastic device and first resistance strain gauge.

He has published more than 80 papers and six monographs, such as Applied Statistics in Fatigue and Fatigue Reliability. He won four prizes of the National Science and Technology Progress Award, a third prize of the State Natural Science Award, nine provincial or ministry-level prizes, and the Ho Leung Ho Lee Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress.