GRAND FORKS, N.D. - Jianglong Zhang, a professor of atmospheric sciences at UND, is among 100 top new researchers in the nation, the White House announced Thursday.
President Obama named him a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, which the White House described as the highest honor the government can bestow on young professionals starting their research careers.
Zhang's main field of research is with aerosols, a term encompassing all kinds of particles suspended in the atmosphere from dust to pollutants from the burning of fossil fuels. They may have a big impact on weather and climate, but nobody understands exactly how.
"I'm thrilled and at the same time feel humbled by the award," he said. "I will try to do my best to keep working on science research and educate future young scientists."
A native of Xining on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, he said he has always been excited by weather. The winters there can be very cold and dry, not unlike North Dakota, he said.
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He's particularly interested in aerosols because it's a relatively new field, he said. "You want to always study the most current research areas because it's full of unknowns and full of challenges and, therefore, full of excitement."
Aerosols are challenging because they have so many different characteristics and effects, according to Zhang. Some aerosols hang in the air for months and years, some for hours. Some form dense clouds, some are dispersed. Most reflect solar energy, cooling the planet, but some absorb energy.
They can affect the way clouds form and how much rain or snow falls, he said, which can be important for agriculture.
The United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change consider aerosol research one of the most important areas of climate research because it's so little is understood, he said.
Zhang will receive his award at a White House ceremony in the fall along with 99 others. The winners also receive research grants of as long as five years to pursue research important to the government.
"These extraordinarily gifted young scientists and engineers represent the best in our country," Obama said. "With their talent, creativity and dedication, I am confident that they will lead their fields in new breakthroughs and discoveries and help us use science and technology to lift up our nation and our world."
President Bill Clinton established the award in 1996.
Zhang, who joined UND's faculty in 2007, has a master's in computer science and a doctorate in atmospheric science from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in 2004. He then worked as a visiting scientist at a U.S. Navy research lab in Montgomery, Ala., for three years. His research interests include satellite remote sensing, radiation and data assimilation. He also is a certified diver.
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