Zhenying Zhou (Ruth Ciu, 1899-1999) is a renowned algologist from Pingtan, Fujian. In 1921, she studied in Biology Department of Hwa Nan College and graduated in 1925 with B.S. degree.  She became a teacher and a dean in Yu Zhen Girls’ Middle School, Fuqing after graduation.  In 1927, she started to work in Yu Xian Girls’ Middle School, Pingtan as a teacher and a principal, continued her study in the summer of 1929 and finished her master degree from the University of Michigan in 1930.  In the fall of 1931, Miss Ruth Ciu sacrificed the opportunity offered her of continuing studies leading to the Ph. D. degree and returned to Hwa Nan to meet the urgent need in the Botany Department.  Because of Ruth Ciu's outstanding record, the University of Michigan granted Barbour Scholarship for her in 1939 and she finished her Ph.D in botany in 1944.  She first stayed and worked in the Botany Department and later was employed in the U. S. National Herbarium, Smithsonian Institute from 1944 to 1946.  Then she came back to Hwa Nan Women’s College of Letters and Science as a professor and head of Biology Department.  After 1951, she was Professor in Biology Department of Fuzhou University, Fujian Teacher’s College and Fujian Normal University.  Ruth Ciu dedicated herself to algal research and botany teaching.  From 1950s to the end of 1970s, she kept collecting specimens in the field and acquired massive amount of marine algae and freshwater algae.  She found new species of Dictyosphaeria and Temnogametum named Dictyosphaeria fujianese and Temnogametum fujianese, and reported 13 species of Galaxaura marginata in China which is the only Chinese literature provided to the world.   She made contributions to seaweed farming, algae culture and pest control in Fujian province.   She was elected Council Member of Botanical Society of China,  Council Member of Chinese Society for Oceanology and Limnology, President of Fujian Botanical Society, and Executive Member of Fujian Society for Oceanology and Limnology.  She was the winner of the first “Special State Allowance” for high level professional talents.