Qiang Yao, PhD

Qiang Yao, PhD

  • Assistant Professor
  • Geosciences
    • qiy0002@auburn.edu
    STEM/AG Building B-1241
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    As an assistant professor in human-environment interactions, Dr. Qiang Yao investigates how natural disturbances and climate variability shape coastal and terrestrial ecosystems over time. Trained in palynology and paleoecology, his research integrates microfossil, geochemical and geospatial data to reconstruct past hurricanes, floods and vegetation dynamics. Current projects use multiproxy and machine-learning approaches to differentiate marine and terrestrial sediment inputs in the northern Gulf of Mexico and establish high-resolution paleotempestology records. Beyond coastal systems, he is expanding collaborations with Auburn forestry and agricultural researchers, applying pollen analysis to questions of pollination ecology, crop production and environmental change.

    Education

    • PhD Louisiana State University 2015

    • BS Mahidol University 2008

    Professional Experience

    • 2025-present: Assistant professor, Department of Geosciences, College of Sciences and Mathematics, Auburn University.
    • 2018-2025: Laboratory manager, College of the Coast and Environment, Louisiana State University.
    • 2015-2018: Postdoctoral research associate, Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University.

    Innovation

    • 2025-2028 National Science Foundation (pending), #HEGS: Population dynamics and effects of mangrove expansion across the U.S. coastlines based on high-resolution spatiotemporal analysis: past, present and future.
    • 2024-2026 National Science Foundation, #EAR-2341540: Collaborative Research: A multi-proxy approach to discrimination of marine and terrestrial sediments in coastal wetlands.
    • 2019-2022 Tongji University Open Project Proposal, #MGK1911: Using lead (210Pb) and cesium (137Cs) dating to determine the age of mangrove forest along the Gulf of Mexico.
    • 2018-2021 Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), #2017YFE0107400: Comparative study on mega-delta erosion hazard and adaption measures in China and USA.
    • 2018-2021 National Science Foundation, #BCS-1759715: Holocene biogeography of mangroves along the Gulf of Mexico Coast: past, present and future.
    • 2018-2022 National Science Foundation (major contributor, $488,050), #EAR-1636550: Collaborative research: Tracking the Pleistocene-Holocene northward extension of tropical cyclone influence on alluvial fans of the Sonoran Desert.
    • 2017 National Science Foundation, RAPID #1803035: Collaborative Research: Tracking Hurricane Harvey’s storm surge and flood sedimentation.
    • 2013-2015 National Science Foundation, Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant (DDRI), #BCS-1303114: DDRI: Proxy records of mangrove ecosystem dynamics and paleo-hurricane activity from the Everglades, South Florida.

    Engagement

    I am deeply committed to broadening participation in geosciences through inclusive mentorship and community engagement. My involvement with LSU EnvironMentors, a program that connects university researchers with high school students from underrepresented communities to conduct hands-on environmental projects, reflects my belief that access and mentorship are essential to diversifying STEM. Guided by these same values, I plan to continue building outreach opportunities at Auburn University by mentoring students from diverse backgrounds and developing research experiences that help the next generation of scientists address environmental challenges in their own communities.

    Selected Publications

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    1. Yao, Q., Liu, K.B., Aragón-Moreno, A.A., Rodrigues, E., Cohen, M. and Fang, S. 2025. Dynamics of arid desert coastal ecosystem in response to tsunami, tropical cyclone and drought: A pollen and geochemical study from Baja California Sur, Mexico. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 667:112877.
    2. Yao, Q., Liu, K.B., Fan, D.D., Cohen, M.C.L., de Oliveira, P.E. and Rodrigues, E. 2023. Eco-morphological evolution of the Bolivar Peninsula (Texas, U.S.A.) during the last 2,000 years: A multiproxy record of coastal environmental changes. Quaternary Science Reviews 308:108064.
    3. Yao, Q., Liu, K.B., Zhang, Z., Rodrigues, E., Cohen, M.C.L., Maiti, K. and Yang, Y. 2023. What are the most effective proxies in identifying storm-surge deposits in paleotempestology? A quantitative evaluation from the sand-limited, peat-dominated environment of the Florida Coastal Everglades. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 24(3):e2022GC010708.
    4. Yao, Q., Liu, K.B., Rodrigues, E., Fan, D. and Cohen, M. 2023. A palynological record of mangrove biogeography, coastal geomorphological change and prehistoric human activities from Cedar Keys, Florida, USA. Science of the Total Environment 859:160189.
    5. Yao, Q., Cohen, M.C.L., Liu, K.B., de Souza, A.V. and Rodrigues, E. 2022. Nature versus humans in coastal environmental change: Assessing the impacts of hurricanes Zeta and Ida in the context of beach nourishment projects in the Mississippi River Delta. Remote Sensing 14(11):2598.
    6. Yao, Q., Liu, K.B., Cohen, M.C.L., Fan, D.D., Rodrigues, E., Maiti, K., de Souza, A.V., Aragón-Moreno, A.A., Rohli, R., Yin, D.X. and Pessenda, L.C.R. 2022. Mangrove expansion at poleward range limits in North and South America: Late-Holocene climate variability or Anthropocene global warming? CATENA 216:106413.
    7. Yao, Q., Joshi, S., Liu, K.B., Rodrigues, E. and Yin, D. 2022. A multi-decadal analysis of river discharge and suspended sediment load in three Texas coastal rivers in relation to hurricanes, seasonal rainfall and ENSO. Frontiers in Earth Science 23.

    Teaching interests

    SPRING 2026: GEOG 1020 Global Systems I: Weather and Climate

    SUMMER 2026: GEOG 1020 Global Systems I: Weather and Climate

    FALL 2026: GEOG 1010 GLOBAL GEOGRAPHY

    Graduate Opportunities

    I am seeking a PhD student (start: Spring 2026) with strong training in palynology and experience in AI, quantitative analysis, or spatial modeling. The student will join projects using multi-proxy and machine-learning approaches to reconstruct past hurricanes, floods, and climate-driven ecosystem changes along the Gulf Coast and in Alabama. The position provides three years of full 12-month funding, including tuition and stipend, and offers collaboration opportunities with Auburn’s forestry and agricultural research programs. Applicants must hold a master’s degree by December 2026. To apply, send a CV and statement of research interests to Dr. Qiang Yao (qiy0002@auburn.edu) with the subject line “PhD Application – Palynology 2026.”