Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences

Perito Moreno Glacier in the Argentine Patagonia

Olmsted Point at Yosemite National Park

View of Earth from a shuttle

About the Department

Whether you are interested in studying the world beneath your feet, or worlds farther away, the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences at Washington University provides the tools for understanding the processes that shape our planet and other solar system bodies. Our faculty are leaders in their fields, and they are passionate about their work and training the next generation of scientists. Our state-of-the-art laboratory facilities allow our faculty to push the boundaries of their fields and give our students the chance to do their own research. We apply geology, mineralogy, petrology, biology, chemistry, physics, and math to investigate diverse topics such as early life on Earth, the structure of the Earth's deep interior, the nature of contaminant transport, and the evidence for water on Mars. As an earth scientist, you are uniquely poised to help solve some of society's most pressing problems through careers in government, non-profit organizations, academia, and industry.

Faculty Search

Join the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences Faculty

The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis invites applications for a tenure-track or tenured faculty position at the assistant, associate, or full professor rank, commensurate with experience, in the field of planetary science. The candidate is expected to perform research in the broad area of planetary surfaces and processes, have or seek active involvement in planetary science missions, and eventually assume leadership of the NASA Planetary Data System Geosciences Node at Washington University. The ideal candidate will employ quantitative tools and integrate computational approaches with remotely sensed observations.

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