Xiaoguang (Richard) Xu is an Assistant Research Scientist in the Joint Center for Earth Systems and Technology (JCET) and the Earth and Space Institute (ESI) at UMBC. He is interested in joining the UMBC Department of Physics as an affiliated faculty. He earned his Ph.D. (2015) from the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, investigating atmospheric aerosol processes with an emphasis on the integration of global chemistry transport model and satellite remote sensing to study the impact of aerosols on climate and air quality. After serving his alma mater as a Research Assistant Professor for a year, he had worked in the University of Iowa as an Assistant Research Scientist for two years to continue the research in aerosol modeling and remote sensing. Dr. Xu’s currently research focuses on polarimetric remote sensing of atmospheric aerosol and Earth surfaces. 

In this talk, Dr. Xu will discuss his research and ongoing collaborations that including the remote sensing of aerosol properties and plume height, and how these measurements are assimilated into global chemical transport models to improve model simulation of aerosol distribution and emitting sources. He will also talk about his teaching and mentoring experience and outline his vision as an affiliated faculty with the Atmospheric Physics graduate program.