Jackson Jandreau, atmospheric research and science communication

Jackson Jandreau, a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering Sciences who works with Dr. Xinzhao Chu, is the recipient of the 2021 George C. and Joan A. Reid Award. Jandreau was nominated by his advisor, Dr. Chu, who describes him as a “future professor and leader in the STEM workforce.”

Jandreau’s research uses lidar technologies to observe the middle and upper atmosphere from McMurdo Station in Antarctica, with a focus on vertical gravity wave coupling from the lower atmosphere deep into the thermosphere and ionosphere. “The successful execution of his research plan will most likely bring a paradigm shift in the vertical coupling of gravity waves through the Earth’s atmosphere and transform the understanding of global atmospheric dynamics, improving models and aiding climate change studies,” says Dr. Chu. Jeandreau’s work earned him co-authorship in a Journal of Geophysical Research paper published during the first year of his Ph.D. program, and he will soon be submitting two papers to the Journal of Geophysical Research as first author. 

In addition to his research, Jandreau is passionate about science communication and enjoys sharing his knowledge with others. He has written about his experiences working in Antarctica and now manages CIRES’ Antarctica campaign blog. While Jandreau’s 2020-2021 field season was cancelled due to COVID19, he organized multiple virtual Q&A sessions with the Science Museum of Oklahoma and middle/high school classes—he will now hold these and other sessions during his next deployment to McMurdo Station.