Frequently Asked Questions
Are you looking to take on new Ph.D students?
This depends on funding availability and time constraints. Please get in touch if you are interested in applying to work with the group.
What kind of projects will I work on?
There is a wide variety of possible research projects. Our work is primarily theoretical and numerical, though we also work on more applied, “decision-relevant” projects if you are interested in something closer to policy. It is important that you are excited about the research you do, so we prioritize finding the right project over meeting funding constraints.
Are you looking to take on new postdocs?
This depends on funding availability and time constraints. Please get in touch if you are interested in applying to work with the group, or if you would like to apply for a postdoctoral fellowship together.
What is it like working in the group?
We hope our Group Principles give a sense of what it is like to be a member of the group. If you have more questions don’t be shy to email a graduate student or postdoc working in the group to ask more about their experience.
I don’t have any experience in research, can I still do research with you?
Yes, you have to start somewhere!
What kind of skills do I need?
A strong coding, math and physics background is helpful, but not required. Experience with Python is useful but also not required.
Do you take on undergraduate students for research projects?
Yes, we sometimes work with undergraduate students. There are several avenues for undergraduate students to get involved, including internal opportunities for UCSD students and paid internship programs for non-UCSD students. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss more.
Is climate change real?
Yes, climate change is real. We would like to highlight two strong pieces of evidence:
(1) the ocean is taking up a lot of heat, as well as the atmosphere. This means heat is not just being redistributed between different reservoirs.
(2) Warming is not just confined to high latitude oceans (which have the longest time-scales of internal variability). It is difficult to produce a warming pattern like the one we observe without some external forcing.
What do you look for in Ph.D applications?
We strive to evaluate applications holistically, and there is no “perfect” applicant to the group. Having said that, we do look for strong technical backgrounds, but will accept a passionate and committed students regardless of their prior training.
Are we doomed?
The conversation around climate change can sometimes get overly pessimistic for our taste. While climate change is certainly one of the gravest challenges facing humanity over the next century, we are confident it will not lead to the breakdown of society.