Ken X. Zhao


I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I am a physical oceanographer who integrates theory, numerical modeling, and observations to study geophysical flows in the ocean. My current research focuses on how ocean circulation drives glacial melt in regions where the ocean interacts with ice such as fjords, ice shelf cavities, and sea ice. I am also interested in coastal ocean dynamics.

Previously, I was a Postdoctoral Scholar at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Harvard University, and Oregon State University. I earned my PhD in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences from UCLA.

I will be accepting Ph.D. students to begin in 2026.