Interdisciplinary graduate study:

At Cornell, a student's thesis committee forms the key relationship between a graduate student and the university. Students who participate in our program are expected to have a committee of four members, with at least one from a department outside her/his own, and one from a non-academic institution; such as a research institute, an industry lab, a government agency, or a non-governmental organization involved with the environment. Extending committee participation to non-academic institutions will enhance students’ ability to communicate their research goals and achievements to a wide audience, and make students aware of the outstanding scientific opportunities outside academia.

Most students take one or more existing core courses in biogeochemistry, such as Principles of Biogeochemistry, Environmental Microbiology, and Analysis of Biogeochemical Systems. They select additional coursework both within and outside their immediate discipline as deemed appropriate by their advisory committee.

Educational activities with in the BEB program are not limited to students who receive fellowships from the program. The program will facilitate inter-departmental graduate training in biogeochemistry, accomplished through interacting "minors" in biogeochemistry which are proposed for several graduate fields. A description of the opportunities available to all students can be found on the research and outreach page.

The research interests of BEB faculty members are as diverse as the field of biogeochemistry itself. By providing a forum for and the means to bring together faculty and student researchers from different disciplines that are currently well-established at Cornell we can set the stage for significant advances at the leading edge of interdisciplinary research. The research and outreach page contains detailed descriptions of research focus areas.