Yi Ming, a researcher at the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, has received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the nation’s highest honor for researchers beginning their independent scientific careers.

Ming, who received his Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Princeton in 2003, received his award along with Princeton Professor Mung Chiang at a White House ceremony in December.

Ming was recognized for his work on climate and human health impacts associated with emissions of particular air pollutants. His award citation noted his “outstanding scientific advancements leading to reliable quantification of the aerosol forcing of global climate change, and effectively communicating the results to Federal agencies, key scientific bodies, academia, and private sector.”

The award, established in 1996, is bestowed annually upon early career engineers and scientists whose work “shows exceptional promise for leadership at the frontiers of scientific knowledge,” according to a White House Office of Science and Technology Policy statement.

After receiving his doctorate, Ming joined the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory. He also teaches aerosol physics and climate impacts in the Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences graduate program at Princeton University.