Zhang Shen (1933—2002), a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was born in Yushan town, Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu province.

In 1956, he graduated from Nanjing Agricultural University with a bachelor's degree from the soil agricultural department of chemistry. In 1962, he went to the former Soviet Union’s Moscow State University to pursue advanced studies, where he received his PhD.

After returning, he worked in the Institute of Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences until death. In 1993, he was elected to be a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

Professor Zhang considered it a personal duty to save the earth. He plunged into the study of earth environmental science with great enthusiasm. Due to his long time research and accumulation of chemical geography, he quickly jumped into the role.

The first task he undertook was to research water pollution in the Guanting Reservoir, which was directly related to people's lives and health. After two years of hard work, he successfully completed the national tasks.