Graduate Research Opportunities at Purdue

The Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences (EAPS) at Purdue University is looking for enthusiastic and self-motivated graduate students for a variety of research projects in Geology and Geophysics, Planetary, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences. As a multidisciplinary department within the College of Science, EAPS draws students from a variety of STEM backgrounds. Students with demonstrated academic and research excellence are invited to explore the research opportunities listed below. We believe diversity makes our department stronger and our science better, and so we proudly encourage students from underrepresented or minoritized groups to apply or simply contact us to learn more about our program by emailing Emjai Gregory.

Atmospheric and Climate Science

Professor Dan Chavas (dchavas@purdue.edu): Interested in studying how hurricanes or severe thunderstorms work and how they may change in the future? The Climate and Extreme Weather Laboratory in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences (EAPS) at Purdue University, led by Prof. Dan Chavas, is seeking graduate students to study these topics using computer simulation experiments, observations, and theory. We explicitly and proudly seek to increase the participation of individuals from underrepresented groups in our field. If you are interested, send an email to Dan Chavas for more information and/or to ask any questions. I’d love to hear about your background and interests and let you know more about myself, our group, and our department.

Professor Alexandria Johnson (avjohns@purdue.edu): In the Cloud Lab we strive to understand the properties of clouds and aerosols across planetary atmospheres with a focus on the microphysical processes at work and the radiative and physical properties of particles. Aligned with this, I am looking for a graduate student to pursue laboratory-based research, utilizing one-of-a-kind instrumentation, to investigate the radiative and nucleation properties of clouds in exoplanet atmospheres. Opportunities to explore clouds through other means and on Earth or neighboring astronomical bodies may be available. Students should have a strong physics background. Laboratory experience is helpful but not required. Since our research serves as a bridge between Atmospheric Science and Planetary Science within EAPS, students are expected to take classes across both disciplines. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out directly. Applicants from a diverse set of backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Professor Michael Vermeuel (mvermeue@umn.edu): I am looking for students who are interested in studying the impacts of human and natural processes on atmospheric chemistry through field observations and chemical transport modeling. Students will make unique measurements of important reactive gases over land surfaces such as cities, forests, wetlands, and croplands using state-of-science mass spectrometry-based methods. Projects also include using and developing global chemical models and detailed canopy-chemistry models to advance predictions of gases that have strong chemical effects on air quality and climate. Interested students are encouraged to email me if they want to learn more.

Professor Lei Wang (leiwang@purdue.edu):I am looking to recruit graduate students in large-scale atmospheric dynamics and climate dynamics. Opportunities exist to learn and apply geophysical fluid dynamics to better understand Earth's atmosphere and climate dynamics using a hierarchy of theoretical and idealized numerical models. Specific projects include jetstream dynamics, extreme weather, weather-climate continuum, the role of moisture on the mid-latitude circulation. Students will have the freedom to develop their research projects as they progress towards a Ph.D. Students will also have the opportunity to enroll in Purdue's Computational Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs to broaden their education. Students who majored in atmospheric sciences are preferred. Applicants with a strong background in math and physics and an interest in atmospheric science are also encouraged to apply. Please contact me at leiwang@purdue.edu if you are interested.

Professor Qianlai Zhuang (qzhuang@purdue.edu): The Ecosystems and Biogeochemical Dynamics Laboratory (EBDL) at Purdue University is seeking one/two graduate students starting Spring or Fall 2024, who are interested in modeling feedbacks between the biosphere and atmospheric climate and chemistry and/or modeling water, carbon and nitrogen cycling in land and aquatic ecosystems. Students majored in ecosystem sciences, atmospheric sciences and other related fields with proficient mathematical and computational skills and interests in pursuing PhD programs are preferred. The students will have the opportunity to interact with faculty members, scientists, and students in EAPS and the Department of Agronomy. Interested students are welcomed to contact Prof. Qianlai Zhuang at qzhuang@purdue.edu and review our ongoing and past research projects at our lab website.

Professor Lisa Welp (lwelp@purdue.edu): Seeking a graduate student starting spring or fall 2024 to work on an NSF-funded project studying the large-scale atmospheric circulation in South America that generates rainfall in coastal Peru. The student will analyze rain stable water isotopes collected during the 2023-24 strong El Niño combined with atmospheric reanalysis products to understand moisture transport pathways to the region.

Environmental Science

Professor Greg Michalski (gmichals@purdue.edu): Seeking a graduate student starting summer or fall of 2022. The student will work on the NSF-funded climate change project on how global warming will impact precipitation in the southwestern US by analyzing paleosols in the Death Valley. Additional projects in include air, soil, and water pollution and astrobiology analogs.

Professor Lisa Welp (lwelp@purdue.edu): Seeking a graduate student starting fall 2024 to work on an NSF-funded project on critical zone processes in managed agricultural land. The student will use precipitation, soil water, and tile drain discharge water stable isotopes and chemistry to identify water flow paths and nitrogen transformation through the soil.

Geology and Geophysics

Professor Roger Bryant (rnbryant@purdue.edu): I am looking for PhD students to join my lab in fall 2024 and beyond. My lab will use geochemistry (e.g., ion chromatography and mass spectrometry) to study the Earth system. Potential projects might involve: Investigating fossilization pathways, tracing the oxygenation of Earth’s surface through geologic time, early Earth analog studies, understanding environmental instability around mass extinctions, reconstructing ocean pH, or anything else you want to study!

Professor Jonathan Delph (jdelph@purdue.edu): I'm looking for quantitative geologists or applied physicists interested in relating computationally-intensive datasets to geologic and tectonic phenomena. Multiple opportunities exist to learn and apply passive-source seismic imaging and seismic interferometry techniques (both static and dynamic) to the tectonics/geodynamics of Earth. Specific research projects include tectonic contributions to seismic anisotropy, the imaging of magmatic plumbing systems, and investigating variations in crustal and upper mantle properties in the Pacific Northwest. Other opportunities include developing and improving seismic techniques to recover Earth’s crustal properties on both local and regional scales.

Professor Yunyue Elita Li (elitali@purdue.edu): I am looking for motivated geophysicist interested in seismic monitoring of carbon sequestration. Research projects involve fluid flow and seismic wave simulation using high performance computing, time-lapse seismic imaging using distributed acoustic sensing, and physics-based machine learning. Other flexible opportunities and research ideas can also be explored with mutual interests.

Professor Nathaniel Lifton (nlifton@purdue.edu):I’m looking for motivated geoscientists with strong quantitative and geochemical backgrounds interested in developing and applying novel techniques using in situ carbon-14 and other cosmogenic nuclides for surficial process and paleoglaciology studies. Carbon-14’s short half-life makes it ideal to study late Pleistocene/Holocene exposure histories and rapid surface process rates, providing a perspective often difficult to resolve with long-lived or stable cosmogenic nuclides. Other possible projects might include updating/refining models of global cosmogenic nuclide production systematics, depending on student interests.

Professor Stephanie Olson (stephanieolson@purdue.edu): I am looking for students interested in using climate and/or biogeochemical models to investigate Earth system evolution. My group is particularly interested in the evolution of Earth’s ocean-atmosphere-climate system as it relates to the history of life on our planet, but this work is inseparable from studies of the solid Earth and the solar system more broadly. Potential projects include studies of the Faint Young Sun Paradox and Archean habitability, snowball glaciation in the Proterozoic, or the oxygenation of Earth’s atmosphere.

Professor Douglas Schmitt (schmitt@purdue.edu): Field and laboratory based opportunities in rock physics and geomechanics, active source surface and borehole seismology, and scientific drilling. Current interests include combined studies along the Alpine Fault, the Chicxulub Impact crater, and the nearby Kentland Crater and laboratory studies focused on understanding the geophysical properties of crustal fluids. Upcoming potential opportunities center on sequestration of CO₂ , underground storage of H₂ , drilling into volcanic edifices in New Zealand and Malawi, and seismic/drilling investigations of Barringer crater. More fundamental studies seek to understand the stress dependent behavior or rock and the physical properties of highly damaged materials.

Professor Xiaotao Yang (xtyang@purdue.edu): There are opportunities to develop and apply high-resolution seismic imaging and advanced data analysis methods to study tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, and transient seismic velocity changes. Regions of interest for research projects include but are not limited to the Aleutian-Alaska margin and the interior, the North-American midcontinent, and the western United States. Beyond these opportunities, I will support your research ideas and provide the platform needed to facilitate your success! Contact me to discuss potential projects.

Planetary Sciences

Professor Cauê Borlina (cborlina@purdue.edu) Magnetic fields are everywhere in the universe and we can use them to understand planetary formation and evolution. Starting Fall 2024, I am looking for graduate students to join the Purdue Planetary Magnetics Laboratory to work on several possible multi-disciplinary projects that include experimental and/or modeling work of magnetic fields relevant to the evolution of protoplanetary disks, magnetic field generation in planets and moons, the role of magnetic fields in habitability, among others. Feel free to reach out with any questions about opportunities in the lab. Applicants from a diverse set of backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Professor Ali Bramson (bramsona@purdue.edu): Prof. Bramson may accept a new graduate student to explore planetary surfaces and subsurfaces via modeling and analogs to explain spacecraft observations. One example could be 3D modeling of how radar signals interact with various terrains, such as ice deposits and lava flows. The goal would be to simulate different geologic structures across our Solar System, including on the Moon, Mars, and icy worlds to aid in our interpretation of radar remote sensing data from NASA spacecraft missions and planning for future missions. Another possibility could be conducting experiments of ice-salt interactions in the lab to connect microscale processes to macroscopic observations of ice deposits and their stability on various bodies in the Solar System, including airless bodies and Mars.

Professor Briony Horgan (briony@purdue.edu): Prof. Horgan is looking for a student to work on remote sensing of volcanic terrains on the Moon and Mars, through some combination of lab work, field work, and remote sensing. The projects would address questions about the evolution of the crust of Mars and the Moon, with relevance to Artemis human exploration of the Moon, upcoming lunar mission opportunities, and exploration of ancient crust on Mars by the Perseverance rover. Please contact Prof. Horgan for more info.

Professor Brandon Johnson (bcjohnson@purdue.edu): I am looking for graduate students with a strong physics background to simulate impact processes and the formation of impact craters. Potential projects include but are not limited to working to understand the origin of Martian meteorites through impact ejection, simulating the formation of the South Pole-Aitken basin or other similar large basins, or working to understand the effects of impacts on Europa.

Professor David Minton (daminton@purdue.edu): Are you interested in understanding the origin story of our Solar System? I use computer simulations along with observational data to help understand the origin and evolution of planetary and satellite systems, and if this sounds interesting to you, then reach out to me! I'd be happy to tell you about the projects we've worked on in my research group, the projects I'd like to pursue, and any ideas for projects that you might have!

Professor Stephanie Olson (stephanieolson@purdue.edu): I am looking for students interested in using climate and/or biogeochemical models to investigate planetary habitability and exoplanet ‘biosignatures’ that may indicate the presence of life on distant worlds. Recent work in my group has focused on the habitability of worlds with much more water than Earth and high-obliquity planets that experience dramatic seasons compared to Earth. Opportunities also exist to study the habitability of planets orbiting M-dwarf stars like TRAPPIST-1 and their biosignatures.

Ben Pearce (pearce21@purdue.edu): Astrobiology! Origins of life! Experimental research! I’m looking to hire two highly motivated PhD students for fall 2024 to join the Origins and Astrobiology Research Laboratory (OARL) at Purdue. The students in my lab will use vacuum flow systems, spark discharges, and wet-dry cycling to simulate the atmospheric and surface conditions of early Earth—before the first cells emerged. Students will also build theoretical models using Python and other programming languages to couple with their experiments. We’ll be trying to simulate the chemical and physical processes that led to the emergence of life, which is hard to do! For this reason, I’m looking for students who have grit and a passion for interdisciplinary learning. Students with skills in self-regulation and work-life balance are a great fit for this lab. For more details on my lab vision, see the relevant blog posts here.

Professor Mike Sori (msori@purdue.edu): We're looking for a student to join our group to use NASA spacecraft data to study problems in planetary geophysics and surface processes throughout the Solar System. For the Fall 2024, we will likely accept one student to study ice, polar science, and climate on Mars using remote sensing instruments from orbital spacecraft. Students will have opportunities to customize and develop projects as they progress towards a Ph.D. Applicants from a diverse set of backgrounds are encouraged to apply, especially those with previous coursework in math or physics.

Professor Michelle Thompson (mthompson@purdue.edu): I have funded positions available for two students to start in Fall 2024. The first project would focus on the analysis of volatiles in lunar samples and analog materials. This project would include the opportunity to develop new techniques and protocols for storing and analyzing samples that will be returned by the Artemis missions as part of the RASSLE NASA SSERVI team. The second project would include the electron microscopic analysis of analog materials exposed to simulated surface conditions on Venus to understand the weathering of these materials in the Venusian atmosphere. This project would provide an opportunity to work on a multidisciplinary team which combines remote sensing techniques, experimental simulations, and sample characterization that will be highly relevant to the upcoming exploration of Venus via NASA missions. Applicants from a diverse set of backgrounds are encouraged to apply, particularly those with experience in electron microscopy or the analysis of Earth/Planetary materials in the laboratory.

Professor Roger Wiens (rwiens@purdue.edu): I am looking for up to two new graduate students in planetary science. I have been exploring the martian surface with NASA’s rovers since 2012, and we have observed more than a dozen meteorites along the Curiosity rover’s traverse in Gale crater. ChemCam instrument data has yielded compositional details of a number of these meteorites. Additional meteorite discoveries are possible in both Gale and Jezero craters as NASA’s two rover missions continue. I am looking for a student to study and publish results on martian meteorites to understand their origins and potential differences of meteorites landing on Mars vs. on Earth, and also to study what we can learn about Mars surface processes from where we do and do not find meteorites on Mars’ surface. The position is in collaboration with team members at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the student working on this project should expect to spend summers and perhaps later years of the PhD working on site with the LANL team in New Mexico. A second project involves maturation of the OrganiCam prototype instrument, which searches for organic materials at stand-off distances using laser-induced fluorescence. The selected student will need to carry out modeling of optical-mechanical tolerances, among other activities intended to develop and test a higher-maturity instrument. Both students will participate in operating instruments on NASA’s two working Mars rovers. Some nationality restrictions apply to both positions.”