The variety of educational and professional qualifications of Department staff members makes it possible to provide a strong atmospheric science curriculum with its associated research opportunities. A brief outline of staff qualifications is given below:

Andrew G. Detwiler - Ph.D., atmospheric sciences, State University of New York at Albany. Aircraft measurements, atmospheric physics, and remote sensing.

Briant L. Davis - Ph.D., geology, University of California, Los Angeles. X-ray diffraction analysis, nucleation, and air pollution.

Paul L. Smith - Ph.D., electrical engineering, Carnegie Institute of Technology. Radar meteorology, cloud physics, and weather modification.

John H. Helsdon, Jr. - Ph.D., atmospheric sciences, State University of New York at Albany. Cloud electrification, lightning, numerical modeling, and cloud physics and dynamics.

Mark R. Hjelmfelt -  Ph.D., meteorology, University of Chicago. Mesoscale meteorology, modeling, radar meteorology, and cloud physics.

Associate Professor:

William J. Capehart - Ph.D., meteorology, Pennsylvania State University. Land-surface processes, surface satellite remote sensing, hydrometeorology

Pallaoor V. Sundareshwar - Ph.D., biology, University of South Carolina. Biogeochemistry, wetland ecology.

Donna V. Kliche - Ph.D., Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, SDSM&T. Satellite remote sensing of biomass burning and aerosols, air quality, scientific analysis of data, meteorology
 

John H. Hirsch - M.S., meteorology, Pennsylvania State University. Numerical modeling and meteorological instrumentation.

L. Ronald Johnson - M.S., physics, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Air pollution, air quality modeling, rainfall estimation, working with large datasets.

James R. Miller, Jr. - M.S., meteorology, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Rain and hail analysis and applied climatology.

Dennis J. Musil - M.S., meteorology, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Cloud physics and hailstorms/thunderstorms.

Adam French - Ph.D., atmospheric science, North Carolina State University. Severe storms, mesoscale meteorology, numerical modeling, and forecasting.

Darren Clabo - M.S., atmospheric science, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Fire Meteorology, Radar Meteorology, Mesoscale Meteorology.