Wanying Kang

Wanying Kang is an Assistant Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she holds the Homer A. Burnell Career Development Professorship. She joined the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS) faculty in 2022 after serving as an EAPS Lorenz-Houghton Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow working with John Marshall and Sara Seager.

Dr. Kang's research focuses on geophysical fluid dynamics of planetary atmospheres and oceans, with particular interest in:

• Icy ocean worlds like Saturn's Enceladus and Titan
• Terrestrial exoplanets and their climate systems
• Lava worlds and their atmospheric dynamics
• Planetary climate evolution and habitability

Her work applies climate science tools developed for Earth to address planetary science questions, with the goal of understanding planetary habitability and potential biosignature detection. She uses theoretical approaches and numerical modeling to investigate atmospheric and oceanic dynamics on Earth and other planetary bodies, with implications for understanding ancient conditions on Earth and other planets. Dr. Kang is preparing for next-generation observational capabilities that will provide more detailed data on exoplanets, aiming to identify observable consequences through her numerical simulations.

Her notable scientific achievements include:

• Homer A. Burnell Career Development Professor
• EAPS Lorenz-Houghton Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship

Dr. Kang collaborates with researchers across multiple disciplines to advance our understanding of planetary climates. Her publication record demonstrates expertise in icy moon dynamics, exoplanet atmospheric escape, and polar phenomena. She maintains an active research presence through publications in high-impact journals and contributes to the scientific community through her work with the MIT-WHOI Joint Program. Her research bridges Earth science and planetary science, creating new opportunities for cross-disciplinary investigation of climate systems across the universe.