The Department of Geosciences pursues fundamental, cutting–edge and strategic research in areas of the geosciences that have great societal impact and educates students for careers that advance the forefront of knowledge in the geosciences. It focus on development and management of natural resources, assessment of natural hazards, understanding of processes that modify the Earth’s surface and how they respond to natural and anthropogenic forces, and investigation of the habitability of Earth and other planets in the past, present and future. View the information below to learn more.
Department Head: Eric Kirby
Associate Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Liz Hajek
Associate Head for Undergraduate Programs: Charles Ammon
Associate Head for Graduate Programs: Donald Fisher
Degrees offered: B.S., B.A., M.S., Ph.D., and minors
Website: https://geosc.psu.edu
When Eva SinhaRoy arrived at University Park a couple years ago, she was a little overwhelmed at the possibilities. The science-minded student knew she wanted to focus on research, but she also wanted to build skills in other areas such as leadership.
Penn State’s Center for Socially Responsible Artificial Intelligence (CSRAI) has announced the winners of its 2026 Teach-a-thon. Liz Hajek, professor of geosciences, and Anastasia Piliouras, assistant professor of geosciences, received honorable mention.
The inaugural Penn State-Ghana Research Partnerships Seed Grant Program has awarded nine projects including three researchers from EMS.
How amino acids from the asteroid Bennu formed in space was a mystery, but new research shows they could have originated in an icy-cold, radioactive environment at the dawn of Earth’s solar system.
New research has implications for understanding ongoing extinctions, revealing that new species emerged within several thousand years of the mass extinction.
Julian Avery and Christelle Wauthier answer questions about volcanic eruptions submitted by elementary school students.
Fifteen faculty members have joined IEE. Together, they bring expertise that connects energy systems, environmental processes and human dimensions, opening new pathways for collaboration and shared research efforts.
Christelle Wauthier, associate professor of geosciences, will deliver a talk titled “Imaging Deformation Processes in Areas Prone to Natural Hazards with Satellite Geodesy” at noon on Friday, Jan. 23,
The Center for CO2 Storage Modeling, Analytics, and Risk Reduction Technologies (CO2-SMART) has grown to involve faculty researchers across Penn State, with plans taking shape for a workshop in 2026.
ICDS' Mid-Scale Seed Grant Program has awarded over $540,000 in total to 24 Penn State faculty members across eight teams representing six colleges and three campuses.
