Can you say a few words about yourself?
My name is Jize Jiang. I am from China. I went to university in 2013 and did the first two years of my undergraduate in Geochemistry at the China University of Geosciences in Wuhan. Afterwards I moved to Edinburgh, Scotland in 2015. I completed my bachelor, master’s and PhD studies at the University of Edinburgh, where I studied Environmental GeoSciences and then Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences. I joined ETH Zurich as a postdoctoral researcher in December 2023.
What is your role in ReCLEAN?
I work under WP B (the Land part) in ReCLEAN that aims to better understand the N cycling in Swiss land ecosystems, including croplands, grasslands and forests. I use a model called DayCent to simulate the N processes that take place in soils. The priority at the moment is to estimate historical and present nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Switzerland, and to predict future emissions based on different scenarios. Meanwhile, I am one of the coordinators of our seminar series (together with Andrea and Marc). We organize monthly seminars and invite great scientists to share their knowledge and wonderful research.
Why were you interested in ReCLEAN?
First of all, ReCLEAN is a project (joint initiative) that is all about nitrogen, or more specifically, reactive nitrogen (Nr), which is crucial for life but can also have significant impacts on the environment. Basically, we want to know what will happen to these Nr species under the context of global change and the energy transition at national scale, what are the subsequent environmental consequences, and we would like to engage with stakeholders and policy makers by sharing our findings. To me, ReCLEAN is a perfect project given my background and research interests. Second, I can have the opportunity to work with excellent scientists from the ETH domain, and Switzerland is a nice place to spend some time exploring, regarding its well-known innovations in research and technologies.
Can you speak about other projects you are currently working on and other ones in the past?
My previous research during my Master’s and PhD focused on quantifying global agricultural ammonia (NH3) emissions by the development of a dynamical emission model, AMCLIM. These studies investigated the effects of environmental conditions and human management practices on the NH3 volatilization, and provided a useful tool to advance understanding of the N processes and the fate of various N species in the agricultural systems. We also made predictions for future NH3 emissions based on scenarios and proposed potential mitigation measures.
What have been some of your biggest challenges?
Studying abroad sometimes can be difficult, especially when there was a pandemic, and you were isolated, i.e., away from family and friends. My biggest challenges mostly occur during my PhD, like the difficulties in data acquisition and tons of technical problems. However, as a modeller, I was relatively lucky because I managed to sail through without too much disturbance during those tough times.
What have been some of your biggest successes?
I really believe what I’ve done in my PhD is the biggest success. I spent four years in building up a model, and I think it is a useful tool that helps us understand how the processes and systems work. I gained enormous invaluable skills that are lifelong beneficial. I’m glad that I never give up, and I would like to thank my supervisors.
What do you enjoy to do, outside of science and research?
I’m a big football fan. Hala Madrid (It’s sad that we just realized Toni Kroos is going to retire after this season)!
I enjoy reading books and watching films. I used to play Go (“Weiqi” in Chinese), but I am totally an observer now.
Where is the most interesting place you’ve been?
Probably the Discovery Bay on the northern coast of Jamaica. We had a fascinating fieldtrip in the third year of undergraduate. We did snorkeling there. You can see the amazing seafloor and lots of interesting marine creatures. I also remembered there is a blue hole somewhere at the Bay. But be careful not to touch or step onto Diadema (a type of long-spined sea urchin)!
A free thought for the end?
I hope more people will pay attention to N and related problems. I hope ReCLEAN goes well. Let’s go ReCLEAN!