Why UC Davis

Life at a research university in a college town

Research in atmospheric science contributes to our understanding of weather patterns and phenomena, helps communities prepare for and respond to severe weather events, and helps society address challenges posed by poor air quality and climate change. UC Davis' Graduate Group in Atmospheric Science includes faculty from science and engineering departments across the campus and who work across disciplines to teach and do research in atmospheric chemistry, biometerology, mesoscale meteorology, climate dynamics, and extreme weather.

In addition to hands-on research, ASBIGAP scholars will take a GRE prep course, receive detailed written comments on statements of purpose, and network with current UC Davis graduate students and faculty to prepare for graduate school applications.

During the summer program at UC Davis, ASBIGAP scholars will live in comfortable, up-to-date campus housing, with a full meal plan, health coverage, and access to UC Davis' superb student recreation facilities.

Davis is centrally located in northern California, with convenient public transportation to Sacramento and San Francisco for weekend excursions. For those who seek outdoor recreation, Davis has miles of bike paths, pleasant trails for walking and running, and a UC Davis student organization, Outdoor Adventures, that provides guided weekend excursions to the coast and mountains. In addition, the ASBIGAP program will provide scholars with individual bicycles to facilitate local transportation.

Davis' Mediterranean climate and location near the Sacramento River Delta generally lead to warm, dry days with a cool evening breeze. Residents enjoy a Farmer's Market that has received national recognition, downtown conveniently near the UC Davis campus, and summer concerts both outdoors and at the Mondavi Center.

Last, but not least, UC Davis has a sustained commitment tobroadening participation at all levels. ASBIGAP is one of four HBCU outreach programs at UC Davis funded by the UC Office of the President. EEGAP also enjoys additional support from UC Davis' Office Graduate Studies, Dean Helene Dillard of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Dean Enrique Lavernia of the College of Engineering, and Dean Alexandra Navrotsky from the College of Letters and Sciences. Other resources include an NSF-funded ADVANCE grant, the McNair Scholars program, the iAMSTEM hub, and graduate diversity officers Josephine Moreno and Steve Lee.