Leung Tsang, professor of electrical engineering and computer science, is among the latest class of researchers welcomed into the National Academy of Engineering.
The NAE cited Tsang’s “contributions in wave scattering and microwave remote sensing theories for satellite missions.”
“Election to the NAE is among the highest honors accorded in our profession,” said Alec D. Gallimore, the Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering, Richard F. and Eleanor A. Towner Professor of Engineering, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, and professor of aerospace engineering.
“Professor Tsang is a world-renowned expert in the field of theoretical and computational electromagnetics, and in particular microwave remote sensing of the Earth.”
Tsang played a major role developing theoretical models for measuring many facets of the planet’s workings, using microwave sensors mounted on satellites in missions for continual global monitoring.
His models have improved the accuracy of these measurements for a variety of purposes. Surveys of soil moisture help researchers understand and predict water cycles and droughts. Knowing how much water is locked up in the snowpack enables the tracking of water resources and the prediction of floods.
Measurements of ocean wind are important for predicting and monitoring weather, particularly hurricanes. Vegetation and forest surveys inform studies of crop yield, agriculture, ecology and the global carbon cycle.
And all of these, plus measurements of polar ice caps, sea ice and ocean salinity, contribute to a clearer picture of the global climate and the effects of heating.
“It is a great honor to be elected a member of NAE,” Tsang said. “It is a recognition for myself, my collaborators, postdocs and students. I acknowledge my colleagues for their encouragement. I thank my family for their continuous support.”
Tsang is one of 106 new NAE members in the class of 2020. He also is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the Optical Society of America, and the Electromagnetics Academy.
