Departmental Unit № 1
Department of Geography & Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
PhD in Geography / PhD in Earth and Environmental Sciences
100% Full Funding Guaranteed (Teaching/Research Assistantship)
Funding Package: Full tuition scholarship + 9-month living stipend (~$23,000–$26,000/yr + summer funding) + health plan coverage guaranteed via Graduate Teaching and Research Assistantships.
Fall Priority Deadline: January 15 (Fall Priority)
GRE Policy: Not required / Waived
English Minimums: TOEFL iBT 79 or IELTS 6.5
MA in Geography (Thesis Track) / MS in Earth and Environmental Sciences
100% Full Funding Available for Thesis MS (Tuition Waiver + Stipend)
Funding Reality: University of Kentucky Geography regularly funds admitted MA/MS thesis students with full teaching assistantships covering tuition and living stipends for 2 years.
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. Matthew Zook
Professor of Geography
In Plain Terms · What This Scholar Does:
He analyzes billions of geotagged smartphone messages and social media posts using spatial AI to map exactly where streets are flooding and where people need rescue during severe storms in real-time.
Core Research Topics: Geographic information science, spatial data science, volunteered geographic information (VGI), GeoAI, social media flood mapping.
Recent 2024–2026 Works & Grants: Pioneering the DOLLY project (Digital On-Line Life and You) analyzing billions of geotagged social media footprints with spatial natural language processing to map disaster damage and environmental perception during catastrophic flood events (NSF IIS / SBE 2024–2026).
Laboratory Instruments & Methods: Python, spatial databases (PostGIS), GeoAI, natural language processing (NLP), spatial point pattern analysis, ArcGIS Pro.
Recruiting Context: World-famous pioneer in geoweb studies, big spatial data analytics, and digital footprints.
Candidate Match:
GISGeoAIFlood StudiesSpatial Statistics
Tailored Cold-Email Opening Hook:
"Discussing your interest in spatial big data analytics, GeoAI disaster mapping, and volunteered geographic information in your research group."
Prof. Alan E. Fryar
Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences
In Plain Terms · What This Scholar Does:
He injects harmless fluorescent dyes into underground caves and limestone sinkholes to trace the secret paths of underground rivers and calculate how fast chemical spills pollute city drinking springs.
Core Research Topics: Hydrogeology, groundwater geochemistry, karst hydrogeology, contaminant transport in fractured aquifers, water security.
Recent 2024–2026 Works & Grants: Investigating groundwater flow velocity and contaminant flushing in complex karst conduits and fractured limestone aquifers using fluorescent dye tracing and high-resolution chemical sensors (USGS / NSF 2024–2026).
Laboratory Instruments & Methods: Fluorescent dye tracing (fluorometers), ion chromatography (IC), PHREEQC geochemical speciation, MODFLOW, field groundwater sampling.
Recruiting Context: Expert in karst hydrology and groundwater contaminant hydrogeochemistry.
Candidate Match:
HydrologyHydrogeologyWater QualityEnvironmental Pollution
Tailored Cold-Email Opening Hook:
"Discussing your interest in karst hydrogeology, groundwater dye tracing, and geochemical contaminant transport in the Fryar Lab."