Shenfu Dong Shenfu Dong knew the University of Washington School of Oceanography by reputation before deciding to come to the U.S. from China for graduate studies. When her application to the school's Ph.D. program was seen by Principal Oceanographer Kathie Kelly (shown at right in photo), she sent a few of her papers to Shenfu to begin the recruitment process. Shenfu was interested in using satellite data in oceanographic research—the core of Kelly's contributions to the field—and when Shenfu also remembered that she had cited one of Kelly's papers in her Master's thesis, her decision to come to APL-UW was made. Shenfu is evaluating the role of ocean circulation in the variations of upper ocean heat content and temperature in the Gulf Stream. This region is important to climate because it is an essential component of the North Atlantic Ocean's 'conveyor belt' of heat poleward. This region makes the largest contribution to the net global annual flux of heat from the ocean to the atmosphere. She has used satellite altimeter data to track changes in regional sea surface height. As water heats, it expands, and as it cools, it contracts, affecting the height of the sea surface. The TOPEX/Poseidon spacecraft's radar altimeters measure the precise distance between the satellite and sea surface. On its northward trek, some of the Gulf Steam flow is captured in a recirculation gyre. During the 1990s wintertime sea surface height in the gyre varied cyclically on a 4–8-year scale. Combined with hydrographic data and numerical modeling, Shenfu's research has demonstrated how the ocean is able to store excess heat and sustain sea surface temperature anomalies long enough to impact climate. The story constructed from these results is clearly one of excess heat stored in the ocean causing large fluxes to the atmosphere, rather than the ocean responding passively to atmospheric fluxes. Shenfu notes that she has come to "… realize more and more how important it is to have a great mentor. I read a book recently about how to survive in a science career, and much of what I read had been taught to me by Kathie over the past several years. I believe my decision to come here and to study under her supervision is the smartest thing I have ever done." See results of Shenfu's research: Heat Transport and Storage in the North Atlantic