FIU’s Institute of Environment is providing two fellowships to eligible FIU students interested in a unique dual degree program.
The joint Ph.D. program with FIU and the Università degli Studi di Firenze (UNIFI) results in students earning two doctoral degrees focused on environmental engineering and hydrology. Students will submit one dissertation and defend it at both FIU and UNIFI.
The Institute of Environment is fully funding two Institute of Environment Pre-eminent Fellowships for highly motivated applicants to enroll in the dual Ph.D. program. Fellows will be supported for up to 4 years with $30,000 in funding per year and will begin in Fall 2021.
As both Miami and Florence face threats from increasing sea level rise and environmental change, a natural partnership grew between the two institutions located at the center of these concerns. In an effort to educate the scientists of tomorrow, the universities began developing a program that would focus on addressing the environmental issues they encounter. The program’s main research focus is on hydrologic/hydraulic and hydrodynamic modeling with emphasis on surface water/groundwater interaction, water quality and the linkage between ocean and the urban landscapes in areas affected by climate change and sea level rise.
The program is a product of the close collaboration between FIU’s UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Water Security and faculty including Assefa Melesse, who leads the program from the Department of Earth and Environment at FIU, and Fernando Nardi and Fabio Castelli, who manage the program from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UNIFI. 2 Ph.D.s, 1 dual-degree program and a world-class flooding model
2 Ph.D.s, 1 dual-degree program and a world-class flooding model
Francisco Febronio Peña is expected to become the first student to complete the dual degree program in July.
Students can choose between starting their studies at either FIU or UNIFI before completing their studies at the other university.
To apply for the institute’s fellowship, students must first enroll with the Department of Earth and Environment at FIU and complete the required coursework before enrolling in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UNIFI.
For more details about the dual PhD program, please contact Assefa Melesse, Graduate Program Director of the Department of Earth and Environment. Successful applicants will also be accepted as Student Associates with the UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Water Security at the Institute of Environment.
