Postdoctoral Research Associates

The ALERTAS lab welcomes candidates from the NSF Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowship and the NOAA Climate and Global Change Postdoctoral Fellowship. Reach out to Dr. Trujillo-Falcón (jet@illinois.edu) to explore sponsorship opportunities!

Graduate Students

Prospective students may join the ALERTAS semester in either through the (1) Department of Climate, Meteorology, and Atmospheric Sciences or the (2) Department of Communication. See below for more information for each, as recruitment processes vary in each department.

Department of Climate, Meteorology, and Atmospheric Sciences (M.S./Ph.D.)

The ALERTAS lab does not have plans to recruit graduate students in atmospheric sciences for either Spring 2026 or Fall 2026. We recommend applicants consider other faculty in the department.

To start in Fall 2026, the deadline to apply is January 5, 2026.

Department of Communication (M.A./Ph.D.)

Interested applicants are encouraged to first reach out to the Director of Graduate Studies at cmn-grad@illinois.edu to learn more about the Communication graduate program and how to apply. Please note that admission to the Department of Communication typically requires prior experience with work in communication studies or formal training in communication, such as a minor or having taken several Communication-specific courses. If you do not meet these criteria, I do not recommend applying to this program.

After contacting the Director of Graduate Students, the applicant should then reach out directly to Dr. Trujillo-Falcón (jet@illinois.edu) to learn more about specific opportunities across the ALERTAS Lab. Some questions to consider prior to our meeting:

1. Are you interested in advancing interdisciplinary work for public or practitioner groups?
2. Are you inclined to conduct quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods research?
3. If you had to select a couple of communication theories to advance in this space, which would you choose and why?

To start in Fall 2026, the deadline to apply is December 1, 2025. Communication only accepts fall admits.

Undergraduate Students

Ever wanted to conduct research in the intersection of atmospheric science and communication? The ALERTAS lab offers several opportunities for undergraduate students to become involved in interdisciplinary research. Opportunities can involve paid undergraduate research assistantships, along with capstone research projects for CliMAS and Communication students. Please reach to Dr. Trujillo-Falcón (jet@illinois.edu) for more information.