Baylor Professor Earns NASA Early Career Investigator Award for Wildfire Smoke Research

Yang Li, PhD

Yang Li, Ph.D., assistant professor of environmental science at Baylor University, has made history as the first faculty member in her department to receive the prestigious NASA Early Career Investigator Program in Earth Science award. This accolade recognizes her outstanding research proposal titled "Understanding Evolving Chemistry in Wildfire Smoke: Leveraging Remote Sensing Observations in Multi-Scale Modeling," which aligns seamlessly with NASA's Earth Science Division priorities.

Her innovative project aims to enhance our comprehension of wildfire smoke dynamics through the integration of space-based remote sensing data into comprehensive modeling frameworks. Li expressed her excitement about the award's potential to catalyze further fire-related research opportunities in her lab and its broader impact on the atmospheric science community. She also extended her gratitude to her department, college, and university for their unwavering support, emphasizing the collaborative spirit that underpins her success.