December 2025: Our N2O Gas Bench–253 Plus IRMS system (installed August 2024) has been upgraded with a customized automatic liquid nitrogen supply that maintains LN2 levels within a tightly controlled range for stable, long-duration runs. With a 154-vial sample tray and an analysis time of ~10 minutes per sample, the system enables high-throughput, continuous, unattended operation for more than 20 hours per batch once initiated. Feel free to reach out if you’re interested in a lab tour or collaborations!
November 2025: We have received a Simons Foundation grant in collaboration with Dr. Sarah W. Davies, Associate Professor of Biology at Boston University, who was selected as a 2025 Simons Foundation Pivot Fellow. The Pivot Fellowship supports accomplished faculty as they transition into a new discipline through mentored training in a host laboratory. Beginning in January 2026, Dr. Davies will join our group for a one-year visiting appointment. Together, we will combine novel isotope approaches with coral genomic and physiological data to develop a predictive framework linking genes to biogeochemical cycles and informing coral reef conservation.
November 2025: Congratulations to Dr. Tianshu Kong on successfully defending her Ph.D. thesis! Her dissertation, “Constraints on Late Cenozoic Marine Nutrient Biogeochemistry from Foraminifera-Bound Nitrogen Isotopes,” was examined by Xingchen Tony Wang (advisor), Jeremy Shakun, Yi Ming, Mark Behn, and Jesse Farmer (UMass Boston).
September 2025: We are excited to welcome Celia Murphy-Braunstein, the newest PhD student in our group! Celia received her BS in Geosciences from Princeton University, where she completed her senior thesis in Prof. Bess Ward’s lab.
Wang Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry Lab 