When Xingang Fan moved to the United States in 2000, he didn’t intend to stay.

“I was a visiting scholar the first year, but the project I was working on continued, and I felt like I should stay longer,” said Fan, a meteorology professor.

Fan was born in the Gansu Province, China and attended Lanzhou University. He got a meteorology degree in 1985.

Fan said his interest in meteorology grew as he studied at college.

“I stuck with the major, and after a few months of research I saw a lot of problems that weren’t being solved,” he said. “Once you get interested, it’s not just about finishing tasks. That’s not the way to live. You have to find some interesting point to motivate you.”

Fan has interests in weather modeling, climate and environmental studies. Part of his research involved international work, so in 2000 he moved from China to Alaska, where he lived for seven and a half years.

“I still miss Alaska,” he said. “One of the reasons we stayed there for so long is that I loved the weather.”

In 2008, Fan moved to Mississippi and worked at Mississippi State University as a research assistant professor.

He came to Kentucky in August. This is his first semester teaching.

“Just like my students, I am still learning,” he said. “I like this position. I have more freedom to do research.”

Fan is principle investigator of a research project funded by NASA.

“I’m doing regional climate study,” Fan said. “My project involves using the original weather global model to forecast ahead 100 years. It isn’t a reliable forecast for everyday weather, but we can use the information to see the future impact of climate on forest development.”

Fan and two professors from MSU take observations from satellites and put them into a computer program.

“The more information you provide to the model, the more accurate results you get,” he said.

David Keeling, head of the geography and geology department, said the results of Fan’s work are important for students to understand.

“These impacts could be significant for the current and next generation of Americans,” he said.

Fan said having his own project makes him feel differently than when he was working under a supervisor.

“I know what I’m going to do and my long-term goals,” he said. “Knowing your ideas got recognized and supported is really rewarding. I became a teacher to help motivate students to realize that.”

Fan’s research grant allows a graduate assistant to help him with his research.

“I’d like to get students involved,” he said. “I can’t do it all alone.”

Josh Durkee, a meteorology assistant professor, said working with Fan is a golden opportunity for students.

“This is a hands-on research experience,” Durkee said. “It is a unique opportunity to work on something that is exciting and not just pertaining to the professor’s interest, but to society as well.”