Lixin Wang

Lixin Wang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), where he leads the Ecohydrology & Biogeochemistry research group. His academic journey began with a B.S. in Biology from HeBei University in China, followed by an M.S. in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and culminated with a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences from the University of Virginia. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Princeton University, he joined IUPUI as an Assistant Professor in 2013 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2018.

Dr. Wang's research focuses on understanding the complex interactions between water, vegetation, and climate in dryland ecosystems. His work examines spatial and temporal patterns of water and nitrogen availability, how vegetation adapts to these patterns, and how future climate and land use changes will affect these critical ecosystem interactions. He employs a diverse methodological toolkit including stable isotope analysis, manipulative field experiments, geostatistical methods, greenhouse studies, and process-based modeling to address these questions. His research spans multiple geographic regions including the Namib Desert, the Loess Plateau of China, and various dryland ecosystems worldwide.

Analysis of Dr. Wang's recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on non-rainfall water inputs (particularly fog and dew) in dryland ecosystems, plant-water relations under climate change, and the application of stable isotopes to understand ecohydrological processes. His work increasingly integrates remote sensing technologies with ground-based measurements to scale ecohydrological understanding from plant to landscape levels. The research shows growing attention to agricultural water management practices and their implications for water conservation in dryland farming systems.

• Research Trailblazer Award (IUPUI, 2020)
• School of Science Research Award for pre-tenure faculty (IUPUI, 2016)
• NSF CAREER Award (NSF, 2016)
• Vice-Chancellor's Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (UNSW, 2011)
• Maury Prize (University of Virginia, 2008)

Dr. Wang actively mentors graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, with numerous publications featuring student co-authors marked by special symbols in his publication list. His research has been supported by significant grants including NSF funding for fog isotope work in Namibia and a USDA grant for studying drought impacts on Eastern U.S. hardwood forests. He has served as an institutional PI for multiple projects examining the effects of acid deposition on forest water use through tree-ring analyses and isotope measurements.

The Ecohydrology & Biogeochemistry lab maintains active research programs in multiple locations, with particular emphasis on field sites in the Namib Desert (in collaboration with Gobabeb Research and Training Centre) and the Loess Plateau of China. The lab has developed a Summer Drylands Programme for training undergraduate researchers in dryland ecosystem studies and has established international collaborations across multiple continents.