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Cornell PhD: Earth & Atmospheric Sciences – Fall 2026 Opportunities

Exciting PhD Opportunities in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Cornell University (Fall 2026 Admission)

If you’re a prospective graduate student interested in cutting-edge research in climate science, glaciology, physical oceanography, geospace physics, volcanology, or cryosphere processes, Cornell University’s Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS) just announced a fantastic set of fully funded PhD positions starting in Fall 2026.

The department posted a detailed call on LinkedIn (shared widely on X/Twitter by Prof. Matt Pritchard) listing specific projects and the faculty members actively recruiting students right now. These are not generic openings; each professor has described their project and what kind of student they are looking for.

Here are the current opportunities (as of early December 2025):
1. Climate Dynamics  

Professor: Flavio Lehner (flavio.lehner@cornell.edu)  

Focus: Climate variability with emphasis on how sea-surface temperature variability and trends affect terrestrial hydroclimate. Tools include coupled climate models, statistical analysis, and machine learning.  

Perfect for students excited about climate modeling and ML applications in Earth science.

2. Geomorphology / Cryosphere / Subglacial Hydrology  

Professors: Tingjun Li (tinganli@cornell.edu) and Seth Saltiel (sas697@cornell.edu)  

Project: Laboratory flume experiments to study interactions between subglacial water flow, till deformation, and basal stresses, integrated with field observations and modeling.  

Ideal for experimentally minded students who want to combine lab work with cryospheric science.

 3. Glaciology – Greenland Ice Sheet  

Professor: Riley Culberg (rtculberg@cornell.edu)  

Project: Snow compaction processes on the Greenland Ice Sheet using airborne ice-penetrating radar data.  

Great opportunity for students interested in remote sensing and polar glaciology.

 4. Physical Oceanography  

Professor: Una Miller (umiller@cornell.edu)  

Profile sought: Strong quantitative background, Python (or similar) coding experience, and interest in air-sea interaction, polar/subpolar overturning circulation, sea-ice-ocean interactions, boundary-layer turbulence, and/or oceanographic fieldwork and instrumentation.  

Prof. Miller explicitly asks applicants to email her CV and a brief statement of research experience and interests.

 5. Geospace Science / Space Weather  

Professor:David Hysell (dlh37@cornell.edu)  

Projects: Theory and observations of phenomena in the upper atmosphere and ionosphere related to space weather, using large international facilities, in-house instruments, numerical simulations, and forecast models.  

Multiple positions available; excellent for students who love both theory and observational work in near-Earth space.

6. Volcanology and Remote Sensing  

Professor: Matt Pritchard (pritchard@cornell.edu)  

Project:Inter-disciplinary study of an active volcano in southern Chile and projects that synthesize volcano remote-sensing observations for Earth and Venus. The student will also help validate Synthetic Aperture Radar observations from the new NISAR satellite.  

Perfect if you are excited about volcanoes, InSAR, and planetary comparison.

 How to Apply

General application information and the online portal:  

https://lnkd.in/eE9SjwBY (official Cornell EAS graduate admissions page)

Individual faculty strongly prefer direct contact before you apply. Send them:

Your CV

A concise statement of your research experience and interests

Why their specific project excites you

Deadlines for Fall 2026 admission are typically in early January 2026 (confirm exact date on the department website), so now is the perfect time to reach out.

Cornell EAS is known for its collaborative environment, excellent funding, access to world-class facilities (including the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source, paleoclimate labs, and strong ties to NASA and NSF projects), and a beautiful campus in Ithaca, NY.

If any of these projects align with your interests, don’t wait; email the professors this week! Opportunities like these (where the advisor already has a specific, funded project and is actively looking for a student) are some of the best ways to secure a top-tier PhD position.

Good luck, and feel free to share this post with anyone who might be interested!

Related: Postdoc in Next-Gen Geothermal Energy Storage – University of Stavanger

Source:Cornell University

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