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Weather is a force that shapes lives, and for Gillian Felton, a Maryland native, it’s been a lifelong passion. Growing up, she was captivated by how weather impacted daily activities, which inspired her to pursue a career as a meteorologist. “I think many people interested in the weather have experienced a dramatic event, like a tornado or hurricane, that sparked their interest,” she says. “But for me, I’ve loved weather for as long as I can remember.”
When it came time to choose a college, the University of Northern Colorado‘s Earth Sciences programme immediately stood out. The BS in Earth Sciences with a Meteorology Emphasis seemed like a perfect fit, nurturing all the skills and knowledge one would need to succeed in forecasting. Indeed, this programme, offered by the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS), is committed to preparing students to address our planet’s most pressing challenges.
Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions remind us of nature’s power, while climate change fuels rising sea levels and increased flooding risks. Recognising these issues, the EAS Department provides students with a unique and rigorous curriculum that prepares them for careers in earth sciences.
The Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences prepares graduates for careers in earth, environmental, and climate sciences through student organisations, advanced technology, and hands-on field and research experiences. Source: University of Northern Colorado
Located near Denver and Rocky Mountain National Park, the university is ideally located for field excursions and hands-on learning experiences. Faculty and students can be found exploring the Poudre River or chasing storms in neighbouring states. They even investigate weather patterns and volcanic activity abroad. As they strive to understand and mitigate the impacts of our world, their work creates a safer, more sustainable future. That’s precisely what Shannon Wiley sought to do when she took on the BS in Earth Sciences with an Environmental Science Emphasis. The programme’s experiential nature meant not having to wait till graduation to make an impact.
“We had field trips to the mountains, visits to museums, and excursions to the aquarium for one of our classes,” she says. “Additionally, we participated in week-long field camps in remote locations. Palaeontology students went out and saw fossils in the field while I navigated down the Colorado River for a week with a geospatial class. It was a lot of fun.”
All programmes offered by the EAS department unlock such opportunities. Among the lineup, two pathways stand out to aspiring world-changers: the BS in Earth Sciences with a Geology Emphasis and the BS in Earth Sciences with a Meteorology Emphasis. The geology programme studies Earth’s solid and liquid components — rocks, minerals, water, and magma — and explores how these elements interact within Earth’s systems. In contrast, the meteorology programme delves into the atmosphere and its phenomena, examining the forces and processes influencing weather patterns and their interactions with Earth’s surface.
The effectiveness of these programmes is underscored by the university’s commitment to small class sizes, maintaining a student-to-faculty ratio of about 10:1. This structure enhances the learning experience by ensuring personalised instruction and meaningful engagement. It’s one of the reasons why Felton chose to study at UNC.
“In some of my core meteorology classes, the ratio is even closer to four to one or five to one,” she explains. “With just four or five of us in a lab with one professor, we get much more direct and hands-on help. This deepens my understanding of forecasting processes.”
This level of interaction is especially crucial for programmes with a strong climate and interdisciplinary focus, like those offered by the EAS department. The same guidance is ensured beyond the classroom, too, where students take on field experiences, undergraduate research opportunities, and training sessions focused on technical skills.
The University of Northern Colorado is situated in a rural community just an hour’s drive from Denver and Rocky Mountain National Park, offering access to urban amenities and natural landscapes. Source: University of Northern Colorado
However, what truly sets these programmes apart is the passionate faculty leading them. Thanks to their dedication, undergraduates benefit from an effective teacher-scholar model while participating in their department’s cutting-edge research studies. Joe Elkins, an Associate Professor in Earth Science Education, emphasises the significance of undergraduate research: “Everyone is very excited to have undergraduates who want to participate in research opportunities because we understand how those early experiences shape their development and their thinking as scientists.”
EAS faculty are also involved in projects that promote climate change awareness in the Northern Colorado region, offering paid undergraduate research opportunities. Meanwhile, Dr. Steve Anderson, a volcanologist, has included multiple students in his global research projects.
This involvement has been beneficial for students like Shandon Miller. “I’ve been working on a NASA-funded research grant with Dr. Anderson and Dr. David Crown (Senior Scientist at the Planetary Science Institute) studying terrestrial and Martian lava flows,” he says. “I also researched detrital zircon with Dr. Graham Baird, dating rocks in Colorado’s Front Range. This project enhanced my fieldwork, sample processing, and research reporting skills.”
These opportunities do wonders in making students more marketable in a competitive job market — as do helpful alumni. The EAS department boasts a well-established graduate network filled with thriving professionals who love providing support and mentorship to current students through talks and seminars. They frequently visit campus to reinforce the crucial role science plays in society and the environment, hoping to inspire the next generation and fast-track their journeys into high-demand roles.
“I work for WSP USA, a multinational engineering and environmental consulting firm,” Wiley says. “With the skills I acquired at UNC, I was hired by WSP within months of graduating and just weeks after starting to get serious about my job search.”
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