Xiaoliang Wang Receives 2020 Benjamin Y. H. Liu Award for Aerosol Research

Reno, Nev. (Oct 7, 2020) – Xiaoliang Wang, Ph.D. of the Desert Research Institute (DRI) in Reno, Nev. is the winner of this year’s Benjamin Y. H. Liu Award from the American Association of Aerosol Research (AAAR). He was recognized for this honor today at a virtual ceremony during the AAAR’s Annual Conference.

Wang, a research professor with DRI’s Division of Atmospheric Science, studies aerosols – tiny solid particles or droplets that are suspended in the air. His research interests include physical and chemical characterization of aerosols, pollution source characterization, air quality measurement, and aerosol instrument development. He is being honored with this award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to aerosol instrumentation and experimental techniques that have significantly advanced the science and technology of aerosols.

Wang is the co-inventor of the nanoparticle aerodynamic lenses and the DustTrak DRX aerosol monitor, an instrument named after him. He developed the new the data inversion algorithms for the TSI Engine Exhaust Particle Sizer Spectrometer (EEPS) for compact shape and soot particles. He led the development of the Aerodynamic Lens Calculator, the DRI portable emissions measurement system, and the DRI Model 2015 multi-wavelength thermal/optical carbon analyzer.

Wang holds M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Minnesota, and B.E. degrees in thermal engineering and environmental engineering from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. He has been a member of the DRI community since 2009.

The award honors Professor Benjamin Liu for his leadership in the aerosol community and his own seminal contributions to aerosol science through instrumentation and experimental research. Professor Liu is a founding father of the AAAR and of the society’s journal, Aerosol Science and Technology, and helped establish the International Aerosol Research Assembly. He received the Fuchs Memorial Award in 1994 and retired as Regents’ Professor from the University of Minnesota in 2002, where he also served as the director of the Particle Technology Laboratory from 1973 to 1997.

DRI Research Professor Xiaoliang Wang received the 2020 Benjamin Y. H. Liu Award in a virtual ceremony during the American Association of Aerosol Research’s Annual Conference on October 7, 2020.

Additional information:

For more information about Xiaoliang Wang and his research, please visit: https://www.dri.edu/directory/xiaoliang-wang/

For more information about the Benjamin Y.H. Liu Award, please visit: https://www.aaar.org/awards/annual-awards/benjamin-y-h-liu-award/ 

You May Also Like…

DRI’s Monty Majumdar is Working with an International Team of Researchers to Create a Digital Twin of India’s Ganges River Basin

DRI’s Monty Majumdar is Working with an International Team of Researchers to Create a Digital Twin of India’s Ganges River Basin

DRI’s Sayantan (Monty) Majumdar, Assistant Research Professor of Hydrologic Science and Remote Sensing, is joining forces with an international team of researchers to create a digital twin of the entire river basin that will support decision-makers as they work to protect this critical resource. Originally hailing from the river’s fertile lands, Majumdar is now based on DRI’s Reno campus, where he contributes to a wide range of research on water management issues in the Western U.S. As a no-cost Co-Principal Investigator (similar to a volunteer consultant role) on the project, he is excited to contribute the knowledge and models developed by teams like the OpenET project and apply them to India in order to expand their reach and test their efficacy in different climates.

Cloud Seeding for Local Precipitation Enhancement: An Interview With Atmospheric Scientist Frank McDonough

Cloud Seeding for Local Precipitation Enhancement: An Interview With Atmospheric Scientist Frank McDonough

Frank McDonough is a research and forecast meteorologist who leads DRI’s cloud seeding program. His research interests span cloud physics, aviation icing forecasting, and precipitation enhancement.

In this interview, Dr. McDonough answers frequently asked questions about how cloud seeding works and what makes DRI’s program unique. This is the second in a new series of FAQ videos with DRI researchers.

Meet Prakash Gautam 

Meet Prakash Gautam 

Prakash Gautam, Ph.D., is an Assistant Research Professor in the Division of Atmospheric Sciences and the Director of DRI’s Optics Lab: “Gautam Laboratory for Advanced Aerosol Dynamics and Light Scattering Research.” He has been with DRI since August 1, 2022, when he first joined as a Postdoctoral Researcher. Gautam also serves as Graduate Faculty in the Physics and Atmospheric Sciences departments at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), where he contributes graduate teaching, mentorship, and research collaboration. His work seeks to understand how atmospheric particles interact with light in order to better understand atmospheric components. 

In the following interview, Gautam shares his dual passions for physics and tennis and offers insight on creating a successful career in science.

Share This