A partnership of the College of Sciences and the College of Engineering, the program involves faculty from the Schools of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS), Biological Sciences, and Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE). The program’s director and co-director are Emanuele Di Lorenzo and Annalisa Bracco, both professors in EAS.

“The greatest challenges in research result from the growing complexity, interconnectedness, and linkages of phenomena, which cannot be addressed within traditional disciplinary boundaries. This applies especially to the ocean—the largest environmental resource on Earth,” Bracco said. “Chemical, biological, and physical processes in ocean cannot be viewed in isolation.”

What’s needed, she said, is an integrated approach to interpreting scientific data and developing effective solutions to immediate problems, such as loss of coral reefs, and their long-term consequences, such as loss of biodiversity.

“Georgia Tech is one of a very few institutions with the engineering and scientific prowess and the interdisciplinary culture to effectively address these critical challenges,” Di Lorenzo said.

Kevin A. Haas, in CEE, said the program brings together for the first time the large number of researchers focused on ocean studies but scattered across Georgia Tech academic units. “We will be able to take a more holistic approach,” he said, “through collaborations between scientists and engineers to address issues such as ecological impacts of global climate change and develop engineering solutions to adapt to or mitigate these impacts.”

OSE seeks students with interest and curiosity in the program’s themes: ocean technology, ocean sustainability, ocean and climate, marine living resources, and coastal ocean systems.

“Our goal is to develop a pipeline of in-demand ocean experts for industry, government, and academia,” Di Lorenzo said.

Graduate programs in ocean sciences and engineering are not new. Georgia Tech’s OSE is unique in combining basic and applied research in one degree offering. “We aim to find solutions to ocean-related problems by integrating science and engineering. This is a fundamental challenge that is not addressed by competing programs,” Di Lorenzo said.

The inaugural class of OSE students will enroll in Fall 2017. Applications are due Dec. 8, 2016.

For more information, contact:

Emanuele Di Lorenzo, edl@gatech.edu

Annalisa Bracco, abracco@gatech.edu

Hollie Meyer, hollie.meyer@eas.gatech.edu