Donglai Gong is an Assistant Professor of Marine Science in the Department of Physical Sciences at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) – College of William & Mary (W&M). He is also a Guest Investigator in the Department of Physical Oceanography at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. He leads the Coastal and Polar Physical Oceanography (C2PO) lab at VIMS. His research focuses on continental shelf circulation, shelf-slope exchange, shelf-break dynamics at mid- and high latitudes. He conducts fieldwork using observational tools such as underwater gliders, ROVs, moorings, and drones in the Atlantic and the Arctic Oceans. He teaches a number of graduate and undergraduate oceanography courses and is involved in numerous education and outreach programs at VIMS and W&M.