cv

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Basics

Name Tianlang Zhao
Label Ph.D. student in Atmospheric Chemistry (Defended in Sep 2025)
Email [email protected]
Phone +1 (907) 750-9986
Url https://tzhao.net
Summary Recently defended Ph.D. focusing on formaldehyde (HCHO) and wildfire air quality using satellite, ground-based remote sensing, and chemical transport models.

Education

  • 2019.08 - 2025.09

    Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

    Ph.D. in Environmental Chemistry
    University of Alaska Fairbanks
    • Thesis: Understanding the Sources and Variability of Air Pollution in Northern High Latitudes: Using Formaldehyde (HCHO) as a Tracer
    • Advisor: Prof. Jingqiu Mao
  • 2014.09 - 2018.06

    Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

    B.S. in Atmospheric Science
    Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology

Work

  • 2019.08 - 2025.09
    Graduate Research Assistant in Environmental Chemistry
    University of Alaska Fairbanks
    Doctoral research on the sources and variability of air pollution at northern high latitudes using formaldehyde (HCHO) as a tracer, combining satellite, aircraft, ground-based remote sensing, and chemical transport models.
    • Developed integrated satellite–model frameworks to study HCHO variability and its drivers at northern high latitudes.
    • Extended analysis to summertime diurnal variability of HCHO over the contiguous United States using the Pandonia Global Network.
    • Investigated model biases in surface ozone and oxidant chemistry using GEOS-CF and related models.

Awards

Publications

Invited Talks

  • 2025-09
    HCHO variation and its main drivers over North America
    National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Japan
    Zhao, T., et al.
  • 2025-09
    Evaluating the Performance of the GEOS-CF Model in Simulating Formaldehyde and Surface Ozone over North America
    NASA GEOS-CF Group Seminar
    Zhao, T., et al.

Conference Presentations

  • 2025-12
    Formaldehyde vertical profile retrieval shows how models overestimate surface ozone during urban heatwaves
    AGU Fall Meeting 2025 (Poster)
    Zhao, T., et al.
  • 2025-12
    Optimal-Estimation Pandonia Global Network (PGN) Multi-Axis Retrievals for Evaluating diurnal cycle of TEMPO Formaldehyde (HCHO) over North America
    AGU Fall Meeting 2025 (Poster)
    Zhao, T., et al.
  • 2025-08
    Optimal-estimation Pandora profile retrievals for evaluating diurnal cycle of TEMPO HCHO over North America
    TEMPO/GeoXO ACX Joint Science Team Workshop (Talk)
    Zhao, T., et al.
  • 2025-02
    Excessive HCHO vertical diffusion contributes significant model bias in surface ozone during urban heatwaves
    UAF Department of Chemistry Seminar (Talk)
    Zhao, T., et al.
  • 2024-12
    Urban ozone air quality under extreme heat: insights from PGN and EPA AQS network
    AGU Fall Meeting 2024 (Poster)
    Zhao, T., et al.
  • 2024-12
    Urban ozone air quality under extreme heat: insights from Pandonia Global Network (PGN) and EPA Air Quality System (AQS)
    HAQAST TEMPO for Ozone Tiger Team Monthly Meeting (Talk)
    Zhao, T., et al.
  • 2024-08
    Evaluating summertime diurnal variability of Formaldehyde (HCHO) over CONUS: using Pandonia Global Network (PGN)
    HAQAST TEMPO for Ozone Tiger Team Monthly Meeting (Talk)
    Zhao, T., et al.
  • 2024-06
    Global evaluation of summertime HCHO diurnal variability using PGN
    11th International GEOS-Chem Meeting (Talk)
    Zhao, T., et al.
  • 2024-05
    Evaluation of HCHO diurnal variability over North America using PGN
    EGU General Assembly 2024 (Poster)
    Zhao, T., et al.
  • 2024-04
    Evaluation of Formaldehyde (HCHO) diurnal variability over North America using Pandonia Global Network (PGN)
    Midnight Sun Science Symposium (Talk)
    Zhao, T., et al.
  • 2024-03
    Evaluation of Formaldehyde (HCHO) diurnal variability over North America using Pandonia Global Network (PGN)
    1st PGN User Group Forum (Talk)
    Zhao, T., et al.
  • 2023-12
    Global evaluation of summertime HCHO diurnal variability using PGN
    AGU Fall Meeting 2023 (Talk)
    Zhao, T., et al.
  • 2023-09
    Global evaluation of summertime HCHO diurnal variability using PGN
    PGN 2nd User Group Workshop (Poster)
    Zhao, T., et al.
  • 2023-04
    Constraining formaldehyde (HCHO) variability over northern high latitudes: an integrated satellite, aircraft and model perspective
    Alaska Space Grant Program and the Alaska NASA EPSCoR Symposium (Talk)
    Zhao, T., et al.
  • 2022-12
    Interannual variability of summertime HCHO VCD and its main drivers in northern high latitudes
    AGU Fall Meeting 2022 (Poster)
    Zhao, T., et al.
  • 2022-06
    Deriving surface-level PM2.5 in Alaska from satellite AOD and model during summer fire season
    10th International GEOS-Chem Meeting (Talk)
    Zhao, T., et al.
  • 2022-05
    Deriving surface-level PM2.5 in Alaska from satellite AOD and model during summer fire season
    ABoVE Science Team Meeting 8th (Poster)
    Zhao, T., et al.
  • 2021-12
    Long-term AOD–PM2.5 relationship in Alaska during summer fire season
    AGU Fall Meeting 2021 (Poster)
    Zhao, T., et al.
  • 2021-09
    Constraining formaldehyde variability at northern high latitude: an integrated satellite, ground/aircraft and model perspective
    IGAC 2021 virtual conference (Talk)
    Zhao, T., et al.
  • 2021-05
    Constraining formaldehyde variability at northern high latitude: an integrated satellite, ground/aircraft and model perspective
    PACES Open Science Meeting (Talk)
    Zhao, T., et al.
  • 2020-12
    Constraining biogenic VOC emissions at northern high latitude: an integrated satellite, ground/aircraft and model perspective
    AGU Fall Meeting 2020 (Talk)
    Zhao, T., et al.

Academic Involvement

  • 2020–present
    Local Operator of Pandora No. 174 instrument
    Pandonia Global Network (PGN)
    Operate and maintain a PGN Pandora spectrometer in Fairbanks, Alaska, providing long-term HCHO and trace gas measurements to support air quality and satellite validation studies.
  • 2024–present
    Team Participant
    NASA HAQAST TEMPO for Ozone Tiger Team
    Participated in a NASA HAQAST Tiger Team: Analysis to support air quality and health TEMPO applications for surface ozone
  • 2024–present
    Peer Reviewer
    Reviewer for ACS ES&T Air, AGU Earth and Space Science, and Atmospheric Pollution Research.
  • 2024
    Conference Student Presentation Judge/Reviewer
    AGU Fall Meeting 2024
    Judged and reviewed student presentations at AGU Fall Meeting 2024.

Skills

Atmospheric Chemistry & Remote Sensing
Formaldehyde (HCHO) variability
Satellite data analysis
Ground-based remote sensing (PGN Pandora)
Chemical transport modeling (GEOS-CF, related models)
Diurnal photochemistry
Air quality and wildfire smoke

Volunteer

  • 2024.01 - Present

    Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

    Science Fair Judge
    Interior Alaska Science Fair
    Judged student projects at the Interior Alaska Science Fair, providing feedback and encouragement to K–12 students.
    • Judge of Interior Alaska Science Fair 2024 and 2025.

Projects

  • 2023.01 - PRESENT
    Summertime HCHO Diurnal Cycle over CONUS using PGN
    Study of summertime diurnal variability of HCHO over the contiguous United States using the Pandonia Global Network and model comparisons.
    • Developed PGN-based constraints on model diurnal cycles of HCHO.
    • Published results in Geophysical Research Letters.
  • 2019.08 - 2024.12
    HCHO Variability at Northern High Latitudes
    PhD research project using satellite, aircraft, ground-based, and model data to understand sources and variability of HCHO and related air pollution in northern high latitudes.
    • Integrated multiple observation platforms with chemical transport models.
    • Characterized interannual variability and drivers of HCHO columns.
  • 2020.01 - 2024.01
    AOD–PM2.5 Relationship during Alaskan Wildfire Seasons
    Project deriving surface PM2.5 from satellite AOD and model outputs during Alaskan wildfire seasons to rapidly assess air quality.
    • Developed wildfire-specific AOD–PM2.5 relationships.
    • Results featured in institutional outreach and media coverage.