Leathers says UD has more climatology faculty than any other university in the country. "With eight people working in climatology, it was a very attractive place to come to," he says.
With all that talent, UD offers a variety of degrees in the field, Leathers says. "We give undergraduate degrees in geography and environmental science, a master's degree in geography and a Ph.D. in climatology-the only one in the country. After graduation, some students go to the Weather Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, government research labs or private consulting firms. And a lot of people go on to become faculty teaching weather-related subjects."
UD currently has about 80 geography majors, 170 environmental science majors and up to 30 graduate students at one time studying the weather.