A five-year, $20 million National Science Foundation project -- Climate Resilience through Multidisciplinary Big Data Learning, Prediction & Building Response Systems (CLIMBS) -- will support research opportunities for WKU faculty and students.
WKU is one of eight Kentucky institutions participating in the project designed to enhance Kentucky’s long-term growth trajectory as a national leader in climate resiliency and hazard management that will promote industry-university partnerships and attract future funding. CLIMBS is funded by the NSF’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NSF EPSCoR).
WKU will receive $2.1 million over the next five years to provide research opportunities for 30 undergraduate and 10 graduate students and to support the hiring of a new faculty member in the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences.
“The CLIMBS project award has the potential to fundamentally change the trajectory of the WKU Department of Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences, the Ogden College of Science and Engineering and WKU collectively,” said Dr. Zac Suriano, Assistant Professor and Assistant Kentucky State Climatologist. “This substantial investment in our research, faculty and students will provide a strong foundation to support long-term growth and facilitate future efforts that can benefit Kentucky’s communities and industries.”
Dr. Cathleen Webb, Associate Dean in WKU’s Ogden College of Science & Engineering, serves as executive chair of the Kentucky EPSCoR Committee. The new five-year Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII Track-1) award for the CLIMBS project will advance Kentucky’s climate resiliency using a collaborative, statewide approach and will strengthen sustainable research capabilities and competitiveness across the entire Commonwealth, she said.
