CM
Member Since 2013
Chiyuan Miao
Professor, Beijing Normal University
Honors and Awards

Outstanding Reviewer Award - Earth’s Future
Received December 2022
Piers J. Sellers Global Environmental Change Mid-Career Award
Received December 2022
Citation
It has been a true pleasure to observe the remarkable scientific career of Prof. Chiyuan Miao from his graduate student days to the present. Chiyuan has been a rising star in the field of hydroclimatology and notably by bridging traditional hydrological science and the emerging global climate change science to address critical water resource issues in China and across the world. What makes Chiyuan stand out as a hydroclimate scientist is his devotion to seeking answers to some fundamental questions, such as (1) whether the current hydroclimatological data sets are reliable for answering critical questions water resources system operators and decisionmakers are confronted with every day, (2) how hydroclimatological variables respond to historical global environmental change, and (3) how hydroclimatological processes will change in the context of future global environmental change. Dr. Miao has conducted a series of systematic studies to examine the accuracy and uncertainty of hydroclimatological data sets in China and many other regions of the world. To this end, he has constructed a high-resolution hydroclimatological data set by applying the merging technique to multisource data sets, which lays the foundation for understanding environmental change and its impact. Chiyuan has developed innovative methods (e.g., automatic optimization, parameter regionalization, adaptive surrogate modeling) to simulate the hydrological processes within a finer spatial resolution. His work has played an important role in the development of national water conservancy projects across China and beyond in responding to ongoing environmental change around the world. He has broadened his research direction to unravel the quantitative contributions of natural forces and human activities to future environment change and the resulting hydrometeorological responses, a right step in helping the development of strategies for energy conservation and emissions reductions, especially in China. Dr. Miao has also been playing an active role in the Earth sciences community and professional societies including AGU. He was selected as cochair of the World Association of Soil and Water Conservation Youth Committee and is now serving as an editor for the AGU journal GeoHealth. He is a very active member of several professional societies in China, such as the Hydrogeography section of the Geographical Society of China, the Resources Ecosystem section of the Chinese Natural Resources Society, and the Geography Youth Forum. My congratulations to Dr. Miao for receiving the 2022 Piers J. Sellers Global Environmental Change Mid-Career Award from AGU. —Soroosh Sorooshian, University of California, Irvine
Response
It is the honor of my lifetime to be recognized by the AGU community and to receive the Piers J. Sellers Global Environmental Change Mid-Career Award. The global environmental changes we are experiencing have brought great hydroclimatological challenges to mankind, and the related research will help us to make appropriate responses. I have been so fortunate to work on and benefit from this fascinating science. Thank you very much, Prof. Sorooshian, for your kind nomination! I clearly remember that when I was working at the University of California, Irvine Center for Hydrometeorology and Remote Sensing (UCI CHRS) as a visiting scholar, Soroosh asked me every day when we met, “Hi, Miao, what’s new?” To be honest, I usually felt nervous because there were still several bugs in my codes yesterday. Now I can be very proud to answer, “I got an award from AGU!” Thanks, Soroosh, for continuously encouraging me to explore the new, as well as for your persistent support for my career. I really enjoyed my time at UCI CHRS and deeply appreciate all my collaborators there, including but not limited to Amir AghaKouchak, Kuo-lin Hsu, Hamed Ashouri, Phu Nguyen, Nasrin Nasrollahi, and Tiantian Yang. I would not be where I am today without the support of my mentors, colleagues, and collaborators. My deepest gratitude goes to my Ph.D. adviser, Baoyuan Liu, who led me to hydrological science and I, for the first time, experienced the charm of scientific research. I was incredibly lucky to work with Jinren Ni as a postdoctoral fellow. I learned the precious qualities of persistence, independence, and self-confidence in research from his words and deeds. Joining Qingyun Duan’s group at Beijing Normal University as a faculty member was a life-changing and exciting experience. Qingyun guided me to the field of hydroclimatology, which I am determined to devote my life to, and always gives me valuable advice on my research and career whenever I need it. I am also indebted to my current and former graduate students and postdocs, who have been so inspiring to work with. I appreciate their hard work and dedication with all my heart. It is a great pleasure of mine to work with them, and I’m here to receive this award also on their behalf. Finally, my gratitude also goes to my wife, Yang Yang, my children, Keyan and Zhiyang, and my parents for their tremendous support and encouragement. Without them, my life would be far less meaningful. —Chiyuan Miao, Beijing Normal University, Beijing
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Current Roles
Editor
Water Resources Research
Associate Editor
Earth's Future