Feng Zhaodong: devote myself to scientific research

Editor in charge:FangYanQiu

Feng Zhaodong visited “Golden Man” museum near Almaty (April of 2019)

Feng Zhaodong collected section sediment samples near Almaty (December of 2019)

Professor Feng Zhaodong graduated from the Department of Geology and Geography at Lanzhou University with a bachelor's degree (equivalent) in 1978 and a master's degree in 1982. He obtained his second master's degree in geology from the University of Washington in 1987 and a doctor's degree in geography from the University of Kansas in 1992. He was a post-doctoral research fellow at Columbia University (1992-1994) and subsequently taught at Montclair State University and Lanzhou University for many years. He has been a distinguished university professor at Henan University since 2017.

Professor Feng is currently leading a team to establish a set of laboratories for climatic and environmental change researches in the School of Environment and Planning at Henan University. The laboratories include Mini-Carbon Dating Accelerator Mass Spectrometry System, Optically Stimulated Luminescence Reader, Stable Isotopic Ratio Mass Spectrometer, Element Analyzer and others.

Professor Feng has devoted himself passionately towards his professional jobs: scientific research and classroom teaching. Scientific research has been the center of his academic life during past decades and reading (literature) and writing (papers and proposals) are like his hobbies. Nevertheless, classroom teaching has always been his top priority throughout his academic life. He always says to his younger colleagues: being a good classroom teacher is a prerequisite for being a university professor. He further adds: if you don't devote yourself to scientific research, you are not a qualified professor.

From the eyes of his students, he is an easy-going friend and also a stern teacher. He has never taken himself too seriously in non-professional life. Yet, he has always refused to compromise in his professional life. It should be added that at his arrival at Henan University in May of 2017, he made a serious decision to give a full of himself to Henan University and soon (April of 2018) he started his application for restoring his Chinese nationality. Despite the lengthened processes and complications, he finally succeeded in resuming his Chinese nationality (February 25, 2021).

As for his future works at Henan University, he wishes to contribute as much as he can to significantly elevate the Earth-Science reputation of Henan University. He hopes that three lines of his scientific research interests can be continued and expanded by this climatic and environmental change team: (1) Late Quaternary Climate and Environmental Changes in the Central Asia, (2) Environmental Archaeology in the Lower Reaches of the Yellow River Basin, and (3) Dynamics of Human-Nature Coupled Systems in the Central Plains.