Program
Mission, Objectives, and Outcomes
The atmospheric and environmental sciences (AES) program links
expertise in atmospheric sciences, biogeochemistry, geology, and
hydrology to address regional and local issues that may also be
nationally or globally significant. AES includes the atmospheric sciences, geology and geological engineering, and civil and environmental engineering departments on campus.
Objectives
- Enhance interdisciplinary research at SDSM&T in atmospheric
and environmental topics
- Combine theory, experiment, and applications to address regional
and local issues (that may be globally significant)
- Link field and laboratory research with larger-scale
observations, such as remote sensing
- Build predictive capabilities, useful in regional resource
management and climate-sensitive economic development
- Generate marketable applications of regional and global
significance
- Create a nationally- and internationally-recognized research
program that produces cutting-edge research
- Prepare students for a lifetime of scholarly and/or
entrepreneurial activity with particular emphasis on building teams
to solve complex problems
Outcomes
- Students demonstrate a broad understanding of general scientific
knowledge in physics, chemistry, and the geosciences.
- Students can utilize tools available for measuring, monitoring,
visualizing, modeling, and analyzing environmental systems.
- Students demonstrate specialized, advanced knowledge in
atmospheric and/or environmental studies.
- Students work effectively with teams to identify and develop
solutions to problems requiring multidisciplinary approaches.
- Students achieve familiarity with scientific literature in their
area of specialization, including an understanding of the main
issues and advances under development.
- Students demonstrate a scholarly understanding of the milestones
and of the key contributors whose work marks the progression of knowledge in their area of
focus.
- Students can frame a fundamental research problem and develop a
technically sound research plan to address it.
- Students can communicate effectively in written standard
scientific English.
- Students can communicate effectively in oral presentations.
- Students can identify weaknesses of written and oral
presentations, and provide tactful, constructive criticism.
- Students demonstrate intellectual honesty when working with data
and ideas. They understand the concepts of attribution and
plagiarism, as well as the differences between opinion, consensus,
hypothesis, theory, and fact.
- Students have made an original contribution to science or
engineering.
- Students can define the scope of their contribution and defend
the methodology employed based on an understanding of the
underlying fundamental concepts.
- Students demonstrate critical thinking skills: to sift through
vast quantities of information, to assimilate knowledge and to
identify errors, and to develop logical plans to solve
problems.
- Students demonstrate good work habits, including setting
short-term and long-term goals, evaluating their own progress,
organizing critical information, and meeting deadlines. Students
must be able to discern critical from non-essential tasks and
organize their time effectively.
Program Description
Graduate
Assistantships
For additional information about the AES program, you may
contact the current program coordinator:
Dr. William Capehart
Department of Atmospheric Sciences
MI 213
(605) 394-1994
E-mail: William.Capehart@sdsmt.edu