Bing Zhang

Bing Zhang is a Chinese astrophysicist and professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He is best known for his research in gamma-ray bursts, fast radio bursts, and other high-energy astrophysical phenomena. He is the author of the book "The Physics of Gamma-Ray Bursts".
Life.
Bing Zhang was born in 1968 in Shanxi, China. He received his B.S. (1991), M.S. (1994), and Ph.D. (1997) from Peking University. After postdoctoral fellowships at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and Pennsylvania State University, he joined the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2004 where he is holding a tenured faculty position.
Career.
Zhang is a theoretical astrophysicist closely working with observers. According to the Astrophysics Data System, he has published more than 700 entries, including more than 450 refereed papers as of 2021. He is known for his theoretical work on several subjects in the field of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs): e.g., a canonical afterglow lightcurve and interpretation, a prompt emission model invoking internal collision-induced magnetic reconnection, a magnetar central engine, a quasi-universal structured jet,
a physical classification scheme, among others. His work has been found useful in interpreting the rapidly growing body of GRB data, and several of his predictions have been verified by observations. Together with Peter Mészáros and Pawan Kumar, Zhang wrote two influential review articles in the GRB field. He also wrote a comprehensive, 579 pages book on the physics of GRBs, which serves as an advanced textbook for graduate students and as a reference for researchers in the field of GRBs.
Zhang has participated in a number of observational campaigns in collaboration with observers. Some major discoveries to which Zhang made significant contributions include: discovery of the first short GRB afterglow, discovery of X-ray flares following GRBs, discovery of the first jetted tidal disruption event, discovery of an X-ray transient marking the birth of a magnetar, and making a connection between fast radio bursts and a Galactic magnetar.
Zhang is an advocate of using Breakthrough Starshot techniques to study "relativistic astronomy". He also suggested that Communicative Extraterrestrial intelligence (CETI) may use fast radio burst-like signals to communicate, and that one can use all-sky radio monitors to place quantitative constraints on the signal emission rate of CETI.
Positions.
Zhang is an elected Fellow of the American Physical Society (2014). He holds the position of Distinguished Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, as well as serving as Associate Dean for Research of the College of Sciences at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. 
Personal life.
Zhang is married to Chaohui Huang with two children, Rachel C. Zhang and Raymond M. Zhang.