Departmental Unit № 1
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering (Water Resources Track)
100% Full Funding Guaranteed (5 Years)
Funding Package: Full tuition remission + 12-month living stipend (~$35,000–$39,000/yr) + comprehensive health insurance guaranteed through Teaching Assistantships (TA) and Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) appointments.
Fall Priority Deadline: December 15 (Priority)
GRE Policy: Not required / Waived
English Minimums: TOEFL iBT 80 minimum or IELTS 7.0 minimum
MS in Environmental Engineering (Thesis Option)
GSR Eligible on Research Track
Funding Reality: Thesis MS students can receive full funding if sponsored by a faculty research grant.
Application Deadline: January 15
Admissions Advisory: If full funding is required and MS is self-funded, students are strongly advised to apply directly to the PhD track.
Vetted Matched Scholars (1 Profiles)
Prof. Brett F. Sanders
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Urban Planning & Public Policy
In Plain Terms · What This Scholar Does:
He wrote one of the world's fastest computer flood engines, simulating in seconds exactly how overflowing rivers and storm surges rush down city streets and flood thousands of buildings.
Core Research Topics: Hydrodynamic flood simulation, coastal and urban flood inundation modeling, fast flood algorithms (BreZo), compound flood hazards, climate adaptation.
Recent 2024–2026 Works & Grants: World authority in hydrodynamic flood modeling; created the BreZo 2D hydrodynamic flood solver. Recent publications: 'A fast flood inundation model with groundwater interactions and hydraulic structures' (Advances in Water Resources, 2025) and 'Scenario Planning for Transformative Climate Adaptation' (WIREs Climate Change, 2026).
Laboratory Instruments & Methods: BreZo 2D hydrodynamic model, shallow water equations, GIS spatial flood hazard mapping, compound flood simulations, Python.
Recruiting Context: Directs major multi-million dollar NSF and California flood research programs. Outstanding match for candidate's flood modeling interest!
Candidate Match:
Flood ModelingHydrologyGISPython
Tailored Cold-Email Opening Hook:
"Referencing his fast flood inundation model in Advances in Water Resources (2025) and compound flood modeling frameworks, presenting your GIS and flood hydrology background."
Departmental Unit № 2
Department of Earth System Science (ESS)
PhD in Earth System Science
100% Full Funding Guaranteed (5 Years)
Funding Package: Tuition remission + 12-month stipend (~$37,000/yr) + health insurance.
Fall Priority Deadline: December 15
GRE Policy: Not required
English Minimums: TOEFL iBT 80 or IELTS 7.0
MS in Earth System Science (En route)
N/A
Funding Reality: Admissions are directly to the fully-funded PhD program.
Application Deadline: N/A
Admissions Advisory: If full funding is required and MS is self-funded, students are strongly advised to apply directly to the PhD track.
Vetted Matched Scholars (1 Profiles)
Prof. James T. Randerson
Ralph J. and Carol M. Cicerone Professor of Earth System Science
In Plain Terms · What This Scholar Does:
A member of the National Academy of Sciences; he tracks massive forest fires and droughts from orbit to see how climate change is scorching global landscapes.
Core Research Topics: Satellite remote sensing of global wildfires, carbon and water cycles, drought feedback mechanisms, global Earth system modeling.
Recent 2024–2026 Works & Grants: Member of the National Academy of Sciences. Uses NASA satellite observations (MODIS, VIIRS, Landsat) to model how extreme droughts dry out landscapes, creating explosive wildfire conditions that release gigatons of carbon into the atmosphere.
Laboratory Instruments & Methods: Global climate/biogeochemical models (CESM), satellite active fire and burned area products, Google Earth Engine, Python.
Recruiting Context: National Academy member with extensive research funding lines in satellite Earth observation.
Candidate Match:
Remote SensingGISHydrologyPython
Tailored Cold-Email Opening Hook:
"Discussing your satellite remote sensing and spatial data workflow experience, expressing admiration for his global Earth system modeling of drought and fire dynamics."