Named after Professor Sheldon K. Friedlander (1927–2007), a pioneer in aerosol sciences, educator and NAE member, the award is used to reward outstanding doctoral thesis in the past three years (https://www.aaar.org/awards/annual-awards/sheldon-k-friedlander-award/). Sheldon K. Friedlander was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1975 for his seminal contributions and pioneering work in the field of aerosol science and technology. He was one of the founders of the AAAR and a past recipient of the distinguished Fuchs Memorial Award (1990). He had taught and directed graduate students at Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University, California Institute of Technology, and University of California for more than 50 years. The Sheldon K. Friedlander Award adopts a nomination system. It recognizes an outstanding dissertation by an individual who has earned a doctoral degree and only selects annually one person at one time. The dissertation can be in any discipline in the physical, biomedical, or engineering sciences but has to be in a field of aerosol science and technology. Li Jing stood out from a large number of nominated outstanding international candidates and became the first Ph.D. student in China mainland to win the award since its founding 20 years ago.
Li Jing giving the Award-winning speech
Li Jing's doctoral thesis focuses on of the effects of airborne biological components including drug-resistant gene transmission and the toxicity of particulate matter at global scale. The paper reveals that airborne transmission is an important diffusion pathway for drug-resistant genes, and the toxicity of atmospheric particulate matter in different countries and regions has significant difference. Part of the results of Dr. Li Jing's thesis was published as the ES&T (a top magazine in the field of environment) cover paper and was selected by the American Chemical Society as the ACS Editors' Choice. It was also published by the American Chemical Society through the "Embargoed Press Release" and won the ACS ES&T 2018 Best Scientific Paper Award. Li Jing's undergraduate thesis was also finished under the guidance of Yao Maosheng and was published in Environmental Science and Technology (2013). During her Ph.D., she was awarded the Excellent Doctoral Student Scholarship by Shanghai Tongji Gao Tingyao Environmental Science and Technology Development Foundation and the Peking University President Scholarship. Li Jing received her Ph.D. from Peking University in 2018 and was funded by a postdoctoral international exchange program. She is now a postdoctoral fellow at Calttech Linde + Robinson Laboratory.
Li Jing's doctoral thesis is mainly funded by National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars (Fund No. 21725701) and Major Research Plan (Fund No. 91543126).set up by National Nature Science Foundation of China.
Related articles:
https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2018/july/hidden-hazards-of-antibiotic-resistance-genes-in-air.html
http://news.pku.edu.cn/xwzh/c0f8912dc31641acabc63ce696ee12b3.htm
http://pkunews.pku.edu.cn/xxfz/2018-07/30/content_303833.htm
Written by: Li Yangyang
Edited by: Huang Yadan
Source: PKU News (Chinese)
