Jane Wang

Affiliations and Roles

Professor Wang holds dual appointments as Professor of Physics and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University. She is affiliated with the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the College of Arts and Sciences.

Education

• B.S. in Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (1989)
• Ph.D. in Physics, University of Chicago (1996)
• NSF-NATO Postdoctoral Fellow, Theoretical Physics, Oxford University (1997)
• Visiting Member, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, NYU (1997-1999)

Research

Her research focuses on the physics of living organisms, particularly insect flight dynamics, biophysics, and computational modeling. Key projects include:

• Dragonfly righting reflex mechanisms
• Neuro-mechanical control in fruit flies
• Unsteady aerodynamics and fluid-structure interactions

Awards and Honors

• Simons Fellowship in Theoretical Physics (2020)
• Radcliffe Fellowship (2007)
• Cornell Provost's Award for Distinguished Scholarship (2005)
• David and Lucile Packard Fellowship (2002)

Labs and Collaborations

Her work integrates experimental and computational approaches, often conducted in collaboration with institutions like the Janelia Research Campus (HHMI) and the Joint Texas Experimental Tokamak (J-TEXT).