Jonathan H. Jiang
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York University (M.Sc., Ph.D.)
Fellow of the American Meteorological Society[1] (2023)
Jonathan Hongtao Jiang | |
|---|---|
| 蒋红涛 | |
 | |
| Alma mater | Beijing Normal University (B.Sc.) York University (M.Sc., Ph.D.) |
| Known for | Aerosol and cloud research; planetary habitability studies |
| Awards | NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal (2019) Fellow of the American Meteorological Society[1] (2023) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Atmospheric science, astrophysics, climate science |
| Institutions | Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology |
Jonathan Hongtao Jiang (蒋红涛) is a Chinese-American atmospheric and space scientist and astrophysicist. He was a Senior Research Scientist and Principal Scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology, where he led the Aerosol and Cloud Research Group. His work spanned climate science, atmospheric physics, satellite remote sensing, astrophysics, and space science. As of 2025, Jiang has an h-index of approximately 66.[2]
Jiang earned a Bachelor of Science degree in astrophysics from Beijing Normal University in 1985, before teaching at the Nanking Institute of Technology until 1989. He later moved to Canada, completing a Master of Science in astrophysics (1991) and a Doctor of Philosophy in atmospheric science (1996) at York University in Toronto.[3] He conducted postdoctoral research at McGill University, the Université du Québec à Montréal, and the California Institute of Technology.[4]
Career
Jiang joined NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 1999. Since 2015, he had served as supervisor of the Aerosol and Cloud Group and Principal Scientist in JPL’s Engineering and Science Directorate.[5] He managed research in atmospheric physics, satellite remote sensing, climate data analysis and modeling, as well as astrophysics and exoplanet studies, overseeing projects supported by NASA and other U.S. agencies.[6]
His work has contributed to Earth-observing missions including Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS), CloudSat, DSCOVR, and PACE, as well as to proposals for future missions such as ENTICE and TWICE.[7][8]
Research
Jiang’s research addresses the role of aerosols and clouds in climate change, radiative transfer, and the evaluation of global climate models. He has authored or co-authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications. Beyond Earth science, he has published on astronomy and astrophysics, exoplanet habitability, planetary and space science, and astrobiology.[9]
Public engagement
Jiang founded and currently leads the Humanity’s Message to the Stars initiative, designing a modern successor to the Voyager Golden Record. He presented the project in a TEDx talk, "If aliens can hear us, maybe they can help us", in 2024.[10]
Professional service
Jiang has served as President of the Global Environmental Change section of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and chaired the Atmospheric Chemistry Committee of the American Meteorological Society (AMS). He has also been an editor of Earth and Space Science and Editor-in-Chief of the Earth and Space Science Open Archive.[11]
