- Fellowship in 2012 at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dr. Tai is an Associate Professor in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Programme in the Faculty of Science at CUHK. He pursued his postdoctoral research in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at MIT from 2012 to 2013, from which he also obtained his B.Sc. degree. He graduated from Harvard with a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Engineering (Atmospheric Science) in 2012.
Currently
Dr. Tai specializes in atmospheric chemistry and physics, agricultural and forest meteorology, and biosphere-atmosphere interactions. His research combines high-performance Earth system modeling and multivariate statistical analysis of observations to examine the complex interactions between ecosystems and the atmosphere, addressing pressing issues such as the impacts of air pollution and climate change on ecosystems and food security, and how agriculture and forests can be better managed to mitigate environmental impacts. His work has been published in top-ranking journals in the atmospheric and environmental sciences including Nature Climate Change, Nature Food, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, and Environmental Research Letters, and earned him the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Research Award for Young Scientists, Early Career Award from the Research Grants Council (Hong Kong), and founding membership of the Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Tai is also a passionate educator, having received the prestigious CUHK Vice-Chancellor Exemplary Teaching Award and Faculty of Science Exemplary Teaching Award. He delights in promoting popular science knowledge to the public, especially on topics such as climate change, environmental sustainability, and faith and science. He regularly gives talks in schools and public avenues, and has participated in and hosted TV and radio programs many times to promote science and environmental education. He also regularly provides professional consulting services to government departments and NGOs.