PhD Opportunities in AI-Powered Geodynamics at Texas A&M
Texas A&M University
College of Arts & Sciences, Department of Geology and Geophysics
Homepage: https://artsci.tamu.edu/geology-geophysics/contact/profiles/qian-yuan.html
Planetary and Solar System Sciences (PS)
Seismology (SM)
Multiple PhD Opportunities in AI-Powered Geodynamics at Texas A&M
Funding: Fully funded (RA/TA) for up to 5 years
Start Date: Preferred August 2026
Application Deadline: December 1, 2025
Location: Department of Geology & Geophysics, Texas A&M University
Contact: Interested applicants should contact Dr. Qian Yuan (qyuan@tamu.edu) with a CV and brief statement of research interests.
What you will do
You will develop and apply next-generation AI-assisted geodynamic models to study mantle convection, planetary differentiation, and the dynamic evolution of large-scale structures in Earth and other planets. The projects aim to integrate machine learning–based thermodynamic models with high-performance geodynamic simulations and to develop ML-based convection algorithms employing Fourier Neural Operators and physics-informed neural networks.
We offer
- World-class GPU and HPC resources: Access to Texas A&M’s $175 M AI infrastructure investment (including the 760-GPU H200 cluster under construction).
- Supercomputing power: Use of multiple institutional clusters (Faster, Grace, Terra, Ada, Fermat) and the NSF ACCESS supercomputer ACES.
- Full funding and competitive stipends: The program provides full tuition coverage, a competitive stipend, and health insurance, all in a region known for its low cost of living.
- Career development: Opportunities for collaboration, and networking within the AI-for-Science and planetary communities.
We expect you to
- Be enthusiastic about AI for Science, geodynamics, and planetary science.
- Hold a degree in geophysics, physics, computer science, or related disciplines.
- Have experience or strong interest in numerical modeling, AI/ML, or HPC computing.
About the broader project
You will join the IMPACT Lab (Intelligent Modeling of Planetary Accretion, Convection, and Tectonics, https://www.yuan-impact.com/) at Texas A&M University—part of the RAISE (Research in Artificial Intelligence for Science and Engineering) initiative. The lab combines geodynamic simulations with AI to unravel the origins and evolution of Earth and other terrestrial planets.
Apply before December 1, 2025: https://grad.tamu.edu/academics/program-directory/geophysics-phd
Interested applicants should contact Dr. Qian Yuan (qyuan@tamu.edu) with a CV and brief statement of research interests.