IGERT graduates will receive both a solid foundation in Applied Mathematics, and broad exposure to important research areas in Earth and Environmental Sciences. The new integrated curriculum will empower the IGERT graduates to apply their mathematical skills to a wide variety of problem, including:
- the accurate forecast of floods and droughts
- the development of better models for understanding oceanic circulation
- understanding the dynamics and climate of the tropical atmosphere
- modeling of the flow and chemistry of the Earth's mantle
Under the guidance of Dr. Lorenzo M. Polvani, professor in the Departments of Applied Physics & Applied Mathematics and of Earth & Environmental Sciences of Columbia University, and staffed by a group of 18 Columbia faculty and research scientists in the Graduate School of Arts & Science and The Fu Foundation School of Engineering & Applied Science, the new IGERT program will operate under the umbrella of The Earth Institute. Students will be registered in any of five participating departments: Mathematics, Statistics, Applied Physics & Applied Mathematics, Earth & Environmental Sciences, and Earth & Environmental Engineering. They will take courses in several departments and conduct research across traditional disciplinary boundaries.
"The Earth Sciences are ripe with difficult scientific problems with huge societal impact," says Professor Polvani. "Unfortunately, current graduate programs do not prepare students to attack these problems. The aim of the new IGERT program is to equip students with both a very strong mathematical background and a deep understanding of the important issues affecting the future of our planet."
The IGERT program was conceived and initiated by the NSF in 1997 "to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education by establishing innovative models for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries and contributes to the development of a diverse, globally-aware, science and engineering workforce." In addition to the $2.9 million received from NSF, Columbia will add 1.1 million University dollars to the program over five years.
The Earth Institute at Columbia University is the world's pioneer academic center for mobilizing the sciences and public policy in pursuit of a sustainable future, especially for the world's poor. Its director is international economist Jeffrey D. Sachs. More than 800 scientists with strength in Earth science, ecology, health, social science or engineering are working together to reduce poverty, hunger, disease and environmental degradation. The Institute brings their creative knowledge to bear through teaching, research and outreach in dozens of countries around the world. In all it does, the Earth Institute remains mindful of the staggering disparities between rich and poor nations and the tremendous impact that global-scale problems – from the AIDS pandemic to climate change to extreme poverty in much of the developing world – will have on all nations. For more information, visit www.earth.columbia.edu