Climate Health Society adds first climate scientist to board

By AI, Created 1:05 PM UTC, May 22, 2026, /AGP/ – The Climate Health Society has appointed climate scientist Dr. Zong-Liang Yang to its Board of Directors, marking the first time a climate scientist has joined the board. The move is meant to strengthen the group’s ability to connect climate science with health-focused work across medicine, planning, engineering and other sectors.

Why it matters: - Climate change is driving floods, droughts, heatwaves and other risks that can cascade into health harms. - The Climate Health Society said the board appointment strengthens its scientific base while keeping its cross-sector mission intact. - Dr. Yang is expected to help translate climate science into practical guidance for planners, engineers and health leaders.

What happened: - The Climate Health Society announced on May 26, 2026, that Dr. Zong-Liang Yang has joined its Board of Directors. - The appointment is a first for the Society because Dr. Yang is the first climate scientist to serve on the board. - Dr. Yang is a professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin. - Dr. Yang also holds the John A. and Katherine G. Jackson Chair in Earth System Sciences and the Morgan J. Davis Centennial Chair in Geosciences.

The details: - Dr. Yang’s research focuses on how energy, water and momentum move between the land surface and the atmosphere. - His work centers on models that make climate dynamics more predictable. - Dr. Yang was a central contributor to the CLM and Noah-MP land surface models. - The models are embedded in operational systems at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the National Centers for Environmental Prediction and the National Water Center. - Those models have been used to forecast and reconstruct major extreme weather events, including Hurricane Harvey. - Dr. Yang develops high-resolution regional climate tools that turn global projections into location-specific information for decision-makers. - He is a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society and the American Geophysical Union. - Dr. Yang taught undergraduate climate and environment courses that now sit inside a sustainability minor for engineering students. - He earned a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences from Macquarie University and an M.S. in Meteorology from the University of Melbourne. - Dr. Yang was a postdoctoral researcher and then research faculty member at the University of Arizona. - The Climate Health Society membership includes clinicians, epidemiologists, climate scientists, actuaries, urban planners, financial experts, industry, nonprofits and private-sector professionals. - The Society describes itself as a global professional organization focused on interdisciplinary collaboration in research, education and innovation around climate change and global health. - The Society’s official journal is The Journal of Climate Change and Health. - More information is available on the Climate Health Society website. - The Society also shared updates on LinkedIn, Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

Between the lines: - The board addition signals a push to pair climate-health advocacy with deeper technical credibility. - Dr. Yang’s background spans modeling, teaching and applied climate tools, which fits a group trying to serve both researchers and practitioners. - The appointment also underscores a broader message: climate-health work now needs experts who can move between science, policy and implementation.

What’s next: - The Climate Health Society is likely to lean further into climate science expertise as it expands its interdisciplinary membership. - Dr. Yang’s role may help shape how the Society frames climate risks and practical responses for members across sectors. - The organization is continuing to invite professionals working at the intersection of climate and health to join its community.