Education and Research for the Next Generation of Transdisciplinary Ocean Engineers and Scientists

The Ocean Science and Engineering (OSE) Ph.D. program at the Georgia Institute of Technology was established in 2017 with the goal of training the next generation of ocean scientists and engineers to pursue transdisciplinary, cutting-edge research. The transdisciplinary focus of the OSE program aims to create new knowledge and use this to develop novel integrated solutions and technologies to address fundamental challenges in ocean sciences. The program involves more than 45 faculty members offering research and training opportunities addressing grand challenges organized around six research themes; ocean sustainability, ocean & climate, ocean microbes, marine living resources, ocean technology, and coastal ocean systems. Students receive training in quantitative, computational, and laboratory skill sets to address problems ranging from ocean energy, ocean & climate change, modeling and prediction systems, coastal ocean hazards, ocean observing technology, marine ecosystem dynamics & services, marine chemical ecology, global and regional ocean biogeochemistry, including nutrient and carbon cycling, and ocean acidification and hypoxia. The educational program is designed to provide a broad foundation as well as much flexibility to meet the needs of students as they tailor their curriculum to their career goals in academia, industry, government, and other sectors. This presentation highlights successes and challenges encountered in the first three years of this program.