Minghui was born in Shandong, China in 1983. In 2002, he entered the Special Class for the Young and Gifted at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), one of the most prestigious universities in China. Minghui was a special person who was not only smart, but also diligent, versatile, modest, easy-going, and the type of friend who would stand by you no matter the situation. Minghui breezed through the challenging undergraduate program at USTC, ranking at the top of his class with hardly breaking a sweat. Minghui was well liked by his fellows students having served as the class president from his sophomore year. Although under enormous academic pressure, he still found time to organize a series of student activities, such as hiking, art performances, and athletic contests for his fellow students.

After graduating summa cum laude and earning a Guo Moruo Scholarship in 2006 from USTC, Minghui entered the PhD program in the Physics Department at Columbia University. After one year, he transferred to the doctorate program in statistics. During his short time at Columbia, Minghui served as the public relations head of Columbia University's Chinese Students and Scholars Association (2007-2008), and was a member of both the Columbia Chinese Basketball Association and the Columbia Graduate Student Consulting Club. His biography on the CUCSSA Web site mentioned his love of ''movies, photography and delicacies''. Minghui described himself in his blog as ''a boy who wants to combine arts and science together''. He was also a huge fan of the Westlife band.

After attending a student organized conference on April 4, 2008 Minghui escorted his girlfriend home on the west side of campus. On his return, he was accosted by juveniles as he was crossing 122nd and Broadway and in his attempt to flee, he was struck by an automobile on Broadway. Minghui was taken to St. Luke's Hospital where he passed away a short time later.

While Minghui was only part of the Statistics Department for a short time, he left an indelible mark that will not be forgotten. May Minghui rest in peace.