Record Size AOES Graduate Class
Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Earth Sciences saw enrollment increases across the board in graduate programs this Fall 2024.
Climate Dynamics reached a record size of 9 entering MS and PhD students. This tops the previous record of 7, which occurred “way back” in Fall 2023. Enrollments also hit records: 33 graduate students, with record enrollment in the separate Climate Science MS and Climate Dynamics PhD programs.
Geology showed even more dramatic increases, with geology faculty advising 10 students starting this year in the Earth System Science MS and other degrees. This is roughly double previous years. Total graduate enrollment is now 10 MS students and 5 PhD students in geology.
Geology graduate coordinator Geoffrey Gilleaudeau attributes the large increase to the expanding “research profile and success (and funding) of our geology faculty.” He adds, “All of these students came specifically to work with one of us and sought us out, so we are definitely starting to be competitive on the national and international scale with other R1 institutions.”
AOES graduate students enter our graduate programs with a variety of degrees, including geology, physics, atmospheric science, and engineering. They come from schools far and near, including George Mason, National Taiwan University, Virginia Tech, Stony Brook University, Howard University,University of Dhaka, and Texas A&M University.
