The Department of Atmospheric Science, part of the Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering, provides high-quality graduate education, conducts groundbreaking research in atmospheric science, and serves public interests through education and outreach. Located on the scenic Foothills Campus, it is currently home to 22 faculty members, 57 researchers, and 86 graduate students.

The department’s diverse research on weather, climate, and environmental issues has been advancing the field of atmospheric science for 60 years. Research is funded by federal sponsors, including NSF, NASA, DOE, NOAA, EPA, and ONR, as well as state, local, and industry partners. The department’s graduate-only education is ranked among the top programs of its kind, and almost all students are funded directly from research or fellowship funds.

Lesser known but fundamental to the department are its efforts to expand diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. The department was among the inaugural institutions accepted into the American Geophysical Union’s Bridge program, with the goal of improving recruitment and retention of students from historically marginalized groups in STEM graduate programs.

In 2020, department faculty voted unanimously to remove Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) scores as a requirement for admission, based on evidence the exam is biased against women and people of color. They opted instead for a more holistic admissions review process. Thanks in part to these initiatives, the department welcomed its most diverse incoming class to date in Fall 2021.

In February, alumna Melissa Burt joined the department’s faculty. Burt has been developing diversity and inclusion initiatives in the department for more than a decade. She serves as Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion in the Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering. Burt, along with other atmospheric science faculty, conducts research and teaches classes related to social responsibility, science identity, mentorship, and social justice in STEM.

Burt and Associate Professor Emily Fischer have led many DEIJ initiatives in the department and for the broader geoscience community. The pair co-founded the NSF-funded PROGRESS program, which demonstrated that mentoring is key to retaining undergraduate women in STEM fields. Burt and Fischer also are two of the faces of Science Moms, a national campaign urging action on climate change. The campaign features climate scientists who are moms and appeals to a mother’s desire to protect her child’s future.

The department has a dedicated office staff of nine, including three research project managers, Samantha Reynolds, Jared Pelton, and Adam Finefrock, who work together to make the unit’s research administration run smoothly.