Earth Science Student Ivy Glade Accepted to Ph.D. Program
Glade plans to pursue studies in atmospheric science
Congratulations to Ivy Glade on being accepted into Ph.D. program at Colorado State University! Current undergraduate student in the Earth Science program, Ivy accepted a full-ride offer to directly transition into a Ph.D. program in the Department of Atmospheric Science at CSU.
She came into Minnesota State University, Mankato undecided in her major. It was very important for her to find a major/career path that she was truly passionate about, and not just something as a means of income. In her first semester of college, she took an introductory course in geography that covered cultural and physical components of the discipline. Throughout the semester, she was able to complete a few independent assignments that were on topics of her choosing within the scope of course material.
She took a particular interest in the physical side of the class, especially that of climate and the weather. She realized there is a diverse field of careers in this discipline. Throughout her first year of college, she sought the advice of Dr. Don Friend and Dr. Phillip Larson in the Department of Geography. They both directed her towards Earth Science as an undergraduate major at Minnesota State Mankato that would help her to get a broad background in the field of natural sciences and recommended additional coursework and opportunities that would prepare her for graduate studies in the field of Atmospheric Science, which focuses on studying the weather and climate.
Throughout her undergraduate education, she has taken supplementary coursework in mathematics (minor), physics, and computer science to prepare her for coursework in graduate school. In the summer of 2019, she participated in the Northeast Partnership for Atmospheric and Related Sciences (NEPARS) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU). This was a summer research program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) hosted at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY. Throughout this experience, she conducted independent research in atmospheric science related to the impacts and occurrence of atmospheric rivers in the northeastern United States. Beyond this research experience, she was able to learn more about careers in the field of atmospheric science and network with current undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, and professionals in this field. Additionally, she was able to present her research and attend the American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting in Boston, MA in January 2020.
After this experience, she knew that she wanted to pursue graduate school, and continued to look for research experiences for the remainder of her undergrad work that would help prepare her for this path. In the spring of 2020, she received the opportunity to travel to the Southern Patagonia Icefields (SPI) with her advisor, Dr. Larson and his colleague from the University of Minnesota to participate in a NSF-funded project studying the retreat of the glaciers in the SPI. Unfortunately, this was cancelled due to COVID-19. However, in the summer of 2020, she was able to write a paper summarizing the work that she and three other undergraduate students completed during her REU in summer 2019. This work will be published in a scientific journal in the near future.
Throughout her undergraduate career, Ivy focused on finding a path that would both support and fulfill her throughout her. With this focus in mind, she was able to be very intentional in the coursework she took and the opportunities that she explored. Doctoral studies have always been at the back of her mind given her passion for learning and finding answers to phenomena that she does not understand. However, it wasn't until she got hands-on research experience in atmospheric sciences via her REU experience, that she realized that a Ph.D. may truly be the right path.
Her goals for graduate school are to develop into an independent scientist, become an expert in the field, and determine her best career path. After graduate school, she hopes to contribute to the advancement of climate science in the scientific community and help to expand the society's knowledge and understanding of how intertwined the human and climate systems truly are.
