In the long term, Yang is interested in developing advanced, cross-scale remote sensing technologies, particularly drone-enabled hyperspectral and thermal remote sensing. This work can help researchers better observe and understand ecosystems, and track and predict their response to climate change. “Advancing a multiscale capability at ORNL can not only support our own projects, but can boost science in general through our connections with other institutions,” he said.
He’s also interested in building tighter connections between researchers and the communities they work in that are threatened by climate change, with the goal of providing scientific information and technologies to help communities deal with increasing geohazards. As NGEE Arctic liaison to the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee, or IARPC , he is collaborating with other scientists to organize a workshop to better understand and explore current research gaps that would benefit at-risk communities.
Advice, and a message of hope, for young scientists
Away from the lab, Yang enjoys fishing with his young son, taking nature walks and teaching him how to play basketball. Yang is a drone enthusiast at home, too. He has three drones of varying sizes and enjoys capturing footage of the changing seasons in Tennessee. The Oak Ridge area experienced a heavy snowstorm just after his family moved here in January 2024. “We were snowed in for a few days, but I ended up making progress on a couple of fronts — capturing some dramatic winter scenery with the drones, and writing a research proposal.”
His advice for young scientists?
“My top advice would be to align your interests with your professor’s projects and missions,” he said. “Sometimes Ph.D.s go off and design their own independent research projects. But working on a big multidisciplinary team gives you the opportunity to learn from researchers with different expertise and to network and grow your own interests.
My second bit of advice is to be persistent, but flexible. Learn from the feedback you get and be flexible in your science and your approach. Don’t be shy in asking for feedback. It’s important to help you grow.”
What keeps Yang motivated in his work is hope. “My son is turning four soon. I’ve been teaching him about science at his level, about plants and forests and the changing seasons,” Yang said. “Teaching him reminds me how important it is that we bend the curve of climate change to provide a better future for the next generation.”
UT-Battelle manages ORNL for DOE’s Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science
This Oak Ridge National Laboratory news article "Daryl Yang: Remoting in to take the measure of at-risk ecosystems" was originally found on https://www.ornl.gov/news