Home > Dept. > AES Program Description
Contact Information
Dr. P.V. Sundareshwar
Institute of Atmospheric Sciences
Mineral Industries 206
(605) 341-3591
pv.sundareshwar@sdsmt.edu
Faculty
Professors Davis, Detwiler, Duke,
Fox, Helsdon, Hjelmfelt, Mott, Stone, and Zimmerman; Associate Professors Capehart,
Fontaine, Kenner, Price, Riley, and Stetler; Assistant Professor Sundareshwar.
Program Description
Measuring, monitoring, and modeling earth and atmospheric
systems increasingly demands an interdisciplinary approach, because problems in
earth processes impacting society often cannot be solved by studying the
atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and/or biosphere in isolation. Managing wildfire potential, for example,
includes components of atmospheric dynamics, precipitation patterns, vegetation
distribution and condition, topographic factors, and more. The key to success lies in training
scientists to form interdisciplinary teams that can simultaneously tackle the
broad range of processes needed to achieve understanding and prediction of such
complex phenomena.
The Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences program links
expertise in atmospheric science, biogeochemistry, geology, and hydrology to
address regional and local issues that may also be nationally or globally
significant. The fundamental objective
lies in developing the predictive capability to address linkages between earth
system components and land management practices in a way that benefits
decision-making at regional and national levels. We use the Black Hills of South Dakota and the
surrounding
Key interrelated research themes drive the research and teaching program, building on ongoing research and disciplinary strengths already present at SDSMT, including meteorology, biogeochemistry, ecology, geology, climatology, hydrology, remote sensing, and geographic information systems.
Specific examples include:
· Carbon cycling and the potential effects of local and regional climate change, including the frequency and severity of storms, drought cycles, and wildfire potential
· Water quality and quantity as it impacts regional growth and environmental systems
· Wildfire dynamics and associated issues related to fire prevention, suppression, and post-fire mitigation
· Physical meteorology and storm processes, including impacts on hydrology and fire issues.
· In situ atmospheric measurements of storms, aerosols, trace gas concentrations, etc. using specially adapted storm-penetrating aircraft
Many South Dakota Tech faculty members who are
actively involved in the AES program have externally funded research projects.
These projects provide research assistantship opportunities for AES students.
In addition to graduate research assistantships, support is also possible
through graduate teaching assistantships and various fellowships and
scholarships. AES students are strongly encouraged to work with their advisors
and faculty colleagues to apply for research funding or fellowships to support
their studies after the first year.
Program Requirements
Degree candidates in AES are expected to complete an approved multidisciplinary program of course work and also perform original research in a focused area. A minimum total of eighty (80) semester credit hours beyond the Bachelor’s degree is required. Students entering the AES program with a previous M.S. degree in a relevant discipline are allowed to apply a maximum of twenty-four (24) semester course credit hours in an appropriate field toward the course credit requirement and six (6) thesis research credits toward the research-credit requirement. There is no language requirement in the AES program. However, all AES students are expected to be proficient in speaking, understanding, and writing the English language. Graduate students who are enrolled full time in the AES program should be able to complete their degree requirements and graduate within three (3) to four (4) years starting with a master’s degree, and four (4) to five (5) years starting from a bachelor’s degree. The time required to complete the degree will vary depending on the transfer of previously earned credits, course work recommendations specified by the student’s committee, and individual research requirements.
The
following key learning outcomes will be developed in all students:
a.
A core of basic
and specialized scientific and technical knowledge;
b.
An understanding
of the basic scientific tools of measuring, monitoring, and modeling;
c.
The ability to
apply these tools to understand atmospheric and land-surface interactions;
d.
The professional
skills crucial to research, including obtaining and reviewing research
literature, proposing research problems, critically evaluating their own work
and the work of others, and communicating in writing and orally with their
colleagues;
e.
The understanding
and application of professional methods and ethics in their work, and
f.
The ability to
form interdisciplinary teams to solve complex problems
Students
entering the program will normally already possess a foundational degree
(typically the M.S. degree) in atmospheric sciences, meteorology, geology, hydrology, or
environmental sciences/engineering.
Students will build on this foundation by pursuing elective courses that
prepare them for advanced work in their chosen specialty. The student and his/her committee are charged
to prepare a course of study that will help the student become proficient in a
specific research area. Great emphasis
is placed on the independent origination of a research problem that will yield
a new, original scientific insight.
Ph.D. in Atmospheric and Environmental
Studies Credit Hours
M.S.
academic core (24cr) and research (6 cr) 30
Required
academic courses 10
Elective
academic courses 13
Research
credits 27
Total
required for the degree 80
The
required academic courses include:
AES 790
Seminar
This course builds professional communication skills,
including writing and oral presentation, while exposing students to examples of
disciplinary and interdisciplinary research.
(1 credit)
AES 808 Fundamental Problems in Engineering and
Science
This course trains students to identify and tackle
fundamental research problems; it combines literature review, proposal
development, critical thinking, and professional ethics, and leads to an actual
proposal in the student’s specialty for submission to a funding agency. (3
credits)
AES 792
Topics (Interdiscplinary Problems)
This innovative course brings together faculty and
students to create a working group which selects a research problem, studies
the literature, and develops a research plan that integrates the multiple
disciplines of all the participants.
Students participate in this course for 1 credit in their first year,
and repeat the course in the second year for two credits, taking a correspondingly
greater role in the work of the group.
This course is modeled after traditional disciplinary research working
groups, but is intended to facilitate the emergence of cohesive interdisciplinary
teams, and to provide an incubator for new research plans and funding
proposals. (3 credits)
XXX Measuring/Modeling of Earth Systems
Students must complete at least one course in
measuring and/or modeling techniques, to be selected by the student’s
committee. A selection of existing
courses at SDSMT is available to fulfill this requirement. (3 credits)
A wide variety of courses are offered at School of Mines to
fulfill the elective course requirement. These courses are offered by the
Departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Geology and Geological
Engineering, Atmospheric Sciences, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and
Mathematics and Computer Sciences, and by other departments on campus as well.
Listed below are examples of courses that might be included as electives in an AES
program of study. These lists are intended as examples and are not at all
intended to limit a student and committee as they construct an individual
program.
Potential elective courses for AES:
ATM 501 Atmospheric Physics
ATM 502 The Global Carbon Cycle
ATM 503 Biogeochemistry
ATM 505 Air Quality
ATM 510 Introduction to Environmental Remote Sensing
ATM 515 Earth Systems Modeling
ATM 520 Remote Sensing for Research I
ATM 530 Radar Meteorology
ATM 540 Atmospheric Electricity
ATM 560 Atmospheric Dynamics
ATM 603 Biosphere-Atmosphere Interactions
ATM 612 Atmospheric Chemistry
ATM 620 Remote Sensing for Research II
ATM 625 Scaling in Geosciences
ATM 642 Physics and Dynamics of Clouds
ATM 643 Precipitation Physics and Cloud Modification
ATM 644 Numerical Dynamics and Prediction
ATM 660 Atmospheric Dynamics II
ATM 670 Boundary Layer Processes
ATM 673 Mesometeorology
CEE 521 Environmental Systems Analysis
CEE 526/526L Environmental Engineering Physical/Chemical
Process Design
CEE 527/527L Environmental Engineering Biological Process Design
CEE 528 Advanced Treatment Plant Design
CEE 533 Open Channel Flow
CEE 628 Environmental Engineering Measurements
CEE 634 Surface Water Hydrology
CEE/GEOE 692
Environmental Remediation Processes
CEE 723 Environmental Contaminant Fate and Transport
CEE 721 Principles of Environmental Engineering
CEE 733 Techniques of Surface Water Resource and Water Quality Investigations I
CEE 784 Modeling and Computation in Civil Engineering
CEE
785 Applications of Finite Element Methods in Civil Engineering
GEOL 516/517/519 GIS I/II/III
GEOL 633 Sedimentation
GEOE 663 Ground-water Geochemistry
GEOE 682 Fluvial Processes
Student progress and mastery will be
measured using the usual instruments in a doctoral program. A written or oral qualifying exam is used to assess the student’s mastery of the M.S.
coursework. A comprehensive examination is given to evaluate the student’s
ability to formulate a research problem based on substantive literature review,
and to test the student’s knowledge in the area of specialty. It is given in two parts: 1) a written examination consisting of a
review paper in the student’s field of study and a research proposal, and 2) an
oral examination to evaluate the research proposal and verify the student’s
understanding of the basic sciences and specialized field of study. The dissertation
forms the final test of the student’s ability to perform and communicate
research. The student must prepare a
doctoral dissertation and successfully complete a public defense covering the
scientific validity of the work, as well as the student’s basic and specialized
knowledge in the field of study.
Management of the AES Program
The AES program is managed by the Office of Graduate
Education. A Program
Committee composed of 3-5 faculty representing different disciplines oversees
the program, including setting policies and reviewing the curriculum. The Program Committee will also take measures
to facilitate interaction by all faculty and students participating in the
program. A Program Coordinator chairs
the Program committee, and provides oversight of student affairs, including
meeting with new and exiting students, tracking student progress, and
conducting orientations for new students. The preceding committee is distinct from the
graduate student advisory committees that provide guidance to individual AES
students during the course of their academic studies. The graduate student’s
major advisor serves as the chair of this advisory committee.
Page updated 5/7/2007.