Curriculum Vitae

Name: Jie Zhang

Mailing Address:    

          Department of Computational and Data Sciences

          George Mason University                               

          4400 University Drive, MSN 6A2

          Fairfax, Virginia 22030-4444

          USA

 

Office Location: Room 351, Research Building 1, George Mason University

Phone:     (703)993-1998                     Fax:         (703)993-9300

Email:      jzhang7@gmu.edu               URL :      http://solar.gmu.edu

 

Education:

  • Post-Doc  Naval Research Lab, 2000-2002
  • Ph.D.        Astrophysics (GPA 4.0), University of Maryland, 1999

·         M.S.         Astrophysics, Purple Mountain Obs., Chinese Academy of Science, 1993

  • B.S.          Astronomy, Nanjing University, China, 1990

 

Professional Experience:

  • 2009 Aug – present: Associate Professor, George Mason University
  • 2005 Aug-2009 Aug: Assistant Professor, George Mason University. Teaching solar physics, space weather, and astronomy courses. Advising graduate students. Conducting solar physics and space weather research.
  • 2006 Oct-2008 Oct: Director, Space Weather Lab at George Mason University.
  • 2002 Jun-2005 Aug: Assistant research scientist, George Mason University. Carrying out research work in the areas of solar physics and space weather sciences. Research subjects include CMEs (Coronal Mass Ejections), flares, interplanetary CMEs, geomagnetic storms, solar energetic particle events and long term solar variations. Developing computational methods to automate the processes of identifying and characterizing solar eruptive events. Teaching space weather courses.
  • 2000 Jan-2002 Jun: Post-doctor at Naval Research Laboratory, and assistant research scientist at George Mason University. Studying solar activities and their geo-effects using data from SOHO, ACE and WIND spacecrafts and ground based observations. Topics include relationships between CMEs and flares, solar sources of major geomagnetic storms, kinematic evolution of CMEs.
  • 1997 Aug-1999 Dec:  Graduate research assistant, Astronomy Department, University of Maryland. Studying the Sun’s corona using SOHO, YOHKOH and VLA observations.
  • 1995 Aug-1997 Aug:  Graduate teaching assistant, Astronomy Department, University of Maryland. Teaching experiences include teaching in discussion sections of Astronomy 100-level courses, grading in Astronomy 100 and 200-level courses, and assisting in campus observatory for public outreach.
  • 1993 Jul-1995 Jul:   Research associate, Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Science. Works include developing a trap-plus-precipitation model to explain hard X-ray time profiles of solar flares, and investigating quasi-periodic structures of solar flares.

 

Ph.D. Thesis

 "A Study of the Sun's Corona Using EUV and Radio Observations",

1999, Supervisor:  Kundu, M.R., University of Maryland

 

Honors and Awards

  • 2009: China National Science Foundation Overseas Excellent Young Scholar Award
  • 2008: National Science Foundation CAREER Award
  • 1999:  Phi Kappa Phi honor society
  • 1997:  Solar Physics Division of American Astronomical Society Studentship Award

 

Professional Membership:

  • American Astronomical Society
  • Solar Physics Division of American Astronomical Society
  • American Geophysics Union

 

Research Grants:

Dr. Jie Zhang has successfully obtained 7 research grants with the role of principle investigator (PI), and one more grant with the role of co-investigator (Co-I) from 2002 to 2008. Five grants are sponsored by NASA (National Aeronautic and Space Administration), and the other three grants are sponsored by NSF (National Science Foundation).

 

Publications:

Dr. Jie Zhang has authored and co-authored about 30 refereed scientific papers

 

Professional Services

  • Co-foundering SWL (Space Weather Lab) and developing space weather program at GMU
  • Member of American Astronomical Society, Solar Physics Division, Education and Public Outreach Committee, 2006-present
  • Hosted two important scientific meetings at GMU in 2005, which effectively increased the scientific influence of GMU
  • Worked as conveners and session chairs of many meetings
  • Panel reviewer and mail-in reviewer of many NSF and NASA programs
  • Worked as referee for about 8 different scientific Journals
  • Supervising and supporting Ph.D. students

 

Research Interests:

My main research interest has two folds. The first one focuses on the science on fully understanding the physical mechanisms of solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), the two most energetic phenomena occurring on the Sun but affect the environment throughout the entire solar system, including the space near the Earth, Moon and Mars. The second one focuses on the practical purpose of creating robust models to characterize the initiation and propagation of these eruptions across the integrated Sun-Earth system with the aim of providing accurate prediction of space weather. This research is closely tied with several ongoing research programs sponsored by federal agencies including NASA, NSF and DoD, e.g., National Space Weather Program and Living With a Star Program. This research has impacts not only on addressing the fundamental physics problems, such as plasma instability and magnetic reconnection, but also on addressing societal needs of mitigating adverse space weather effects on human space exploration, robotic satellite operation, communication and navigation.