Dr. Zutao Ouyang (right) observes geospatial data with a colleague.
Zutao Ouyang, an assistant professor at Auburn University’s College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, is being recognized for his standout research in environmental and climate systems as part of the 2026 Auburn Faculty Awards. An expert in ecosystem modeling, Ouyang’s experience in processing data gathered from the natural world earned him this recognition from the university as part of a showcase of Auburn’s best academic minds.
Fifteen faculty members representing seven colleges are in the spotlight for their advancements in academics and research. Dr. Ouyang’s focus on understanding, quantifying and predicting natural and anthropogenic trace gas emissions and their interactions with climate change proved deserving of this year’s Emerging Faculty Creative Research and Scholarship Award in the Biomedical Sciences, Engineering and Agriculture category. This award is given to Auburn faculty whose work creates real-world impact and impeccable momentum for research advancement.
Dr. Ouyang has been a CFWE faculty member since 2023 and has taken no time to build an internationally recognized research program in Auburn’s Earth Modeling and Observation Lab. Ouyang and his team investigate environmental changes through integrated approaches with ecosystem modeling and precise observation to ultimately advance global sustainability. By utilizing ground-based measurements, remote sensing and AI, his lab can examine environmental challenges and even predict future climate obstacles.
Dr. Zutao Ouyang
Major successes in securing extramural funding have also been an integral part of Ouyang’s tenure at Auburn. He has served as principal investigator on numerous projects supported by the Environmental Research & Education Foundation, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the National Science Foundation. Ouyang’s drive to compete in the extramural funding space for solving global environmental issues has underscored his leadership in research and scientific merit. Of his achievements, perhaps his most notable role is leading the development of the Global Hydrogen budget under the umbrella of the Global Carbon Project, a global research network that brings together expertise on greenhouse gas emissions, human activities and Earth system interactions to advance and accelerate decarbonization efforts worldwide.
“Dr. Ouyang’s scholarship is distinguished not only by its quantity but, more importantly, by its extraordinary quality and impact,” said Dr. Latif Kalin, the CFWE’s associate dean for research and graduate programs and the Clinton-McClure Professor of hydrology. “His research has appeared in premier scientific journals, including Nature, Science, PNAS and Nature Communications, and has received more than 7,600 citations with an H-index of 45. Notably, his H-index is tied for the second highest among all faculty in the CFWE, an exceptional achievement for a faculty member at this stage of his career.”
For Ouyang, he is grateful for the opportunity to be recognized for his hard work. He shares his thanks and hope for other faculty to strive for the same standard of academic excellence.
“I am deeply honored to receive the Emerging Faculty Creative Research and Scholarship Award,” he said. “This recognition reflects not only my commitment to advancing scientific understanding of pressing environmental challenges but also the collective efforts of my research team and collaborators. I am especially grateful to Auburn for providing a supportive environment for my research, and to my students, colleagues and collaborators for their invaluable contributions to these achievements.”
