Dr. Xiaodong Zhang is a professor and holds an Endowed Chair position with the University of Southern Mississippi after serving as a faculty for 17 years with the University of North Dakota. His research involves studying the light scattering by molecules and particles in the ocean and their applications to investigate the dynamics and flux of particles.  Currently, he is a member of the science team of NASA’s PACE mission and NASA’s EXPORTS project. He has a BS degree in Computer Science from Nanjing University, China, and MS and PhD degree in Oceanography from Dalhousie University, Canada.