The winds of change blew through Iowa State’s Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences (GEAT) in the fall 2022 when a new major and minor in climate science electrified the department’s offerings. Degrees dedicated to addressing the challenges of climate change are not common in the United States, so GEAT’s creation of the climate science major and minor captured the attention of numerous new and existing climate-conscious students.
While Iowa State’s climate science majors learn the fundamentals of climate science, they may also pursue one of six specific knowledge pathways, which are:
- Advanced climate science
- Data visualization
- Design and planning for sustainability
- Climate, food, agriculture, and biodiversity
- Policy and human behavior
- Science communication
Undergraduates Owen Halverson, Jack Harris, and Amanda Hauser describe their unique reasons for choosing to be climate science majors in the complete story published in LAS News.