Departmental Unit № 1
Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences & Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering (CCEE)
PhD in Geology / Environmental Science / Environmental Engineering
100% Full Funding Guaranteed (Teaching/Research Assistantship)
Funding Package: 100% tuition scholarship + 9-12 month living stipend (~$25,000–$29,000/yr) + comprehensive student health insurance provided to admitted doctoral students.
Fall Priority Deadline: January 15 (Fall Priority)
GRE Policy: Not required / Waived
English Minimums: TOEFL iBT 79 or IELTS 6.5
MS in Geology (Thesis Track) / MS in Environmental Science
100% Full Funding Available for Thesis MS (Tuition Waiver + Stipend)
Funding Reality: Iowa State Geology & Environmental Science routinely funds accepted thesis MS students on full Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA) or Research Assistantships (GRA).
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 (2 Profiles)
Prof. Kristie J. Franz
Professor and Chair of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences
In Plain Terms · What This Scholar Does:
Department chair who uses satellite snow measurements and computer river models to predict months in advance how much water will melt from snow and whether spring floods will overwhelm Midwestern towns.
Core Research Topics: Streamflow forecasting, snow hydrology, rainfall-runoff modeling, ensemble hydrologic prediction, climate change impacts on water resources.
Recent 2024–2026 Works & Grants: Developing ensemble hydrologic streamflow forecasting systems integrating satellite snow cover and remote sensing soil moisture data to project seasonal water availability and spring snowmelt flood risks in Midwestern and mountain watersheds (NOAA National Weather Service / NSF 2024–2026).
Laboratory Instruments & Methods: Distributed hydrologic models (SNOW-17, SAC-SMA), ensemble forecasting, Python, GIS, satellite snow products (MODIS/VIIRS).
Recruiting Context: Department chair; major contributor to NOAA National Weather Service river forecasting systems.
Candidate Match:
HydrologyFlood StudiesRemote SensingGIS
Tailored Cold-Email Opening Hook:
"Discussing your interest in ensemble hydrologic streamflow forecasting, snowpack runoff modeling, and remote sensing data assimilation in your group."
Prof. Kaoru Ikuma
Associate Professor of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering
In Plain Terms · What This Scholar Does:
She tests how beneficial bacterial slime layers (biofilms) inside sand and charcoal filters can naturally eat up farm antibiotics and chemicals from runoff water before it pollutes drinking aquifers.
Core Research Topics: Environmental microbiology, biofilm contaminant dynamics, agricultural runoff water treatment, antibiotic resistance genes, drinking water quality.
Recent 2024–2026 Works & Grants: Investigating how bacterial biofilms inside biochar filtration sand filters capture and degrade veterinary antibiotics and pesticides from agricultural runoff before they seep into rural drinking aquifers (USDA NIFA / EPA 2024–2026).
Laboratory Instruments & Methods: Biofilm flow cells, quantitative PCR (qPCR), confocal laser scanning microscopy, plate counting, wet-lab water filtration testing.
Recruiting Context: Strong experimental wet-lab focusing on biological water treatment and agricultural contaminant mitigation.
Candidate Match:
Water QualityEnvironmental PollutionWet Lab Environmental TestingEnvironmental Remediation
Tailored Cold-Email Opening Hook:
"Discussing your interest in biofilm contaminant mitigation, agricultural runoff filtration, and wet-lab environmental microbiology in the Ikuma Group."