Seeding opportunities for Black atmospheric scientists
Article Date
23 December 2025
Summary
Vernon Morris, a leading atmospheric scientist, has spent decades creating pathways for Black and other under-represented students into atmospheric science. He was one of the very few Black PhD holders in his field when he completed his doctorate in 1991. In 2001 he founded the first PhD programme in atmospheric sciences at an HBCU (Howard University), a programme that later contributed a substantial share of African American and Latinx PhDs in the US.
Morris’s research focuses on airborne particle processes — notably long-range transport of mineral dust and the microbes and chemistry they carry — and how these particles affect climate and ecosystems. Beyond research, he has mentored hundreds of students, launched initiatives such as No Time for Silence to push anti-racism in geoscience, and received the AGU Lifetime Achievement Award for Diversity and Inclusion.
Key Points
- Vernon Morris was among the earliest Black PhD recipients in Earth and atmospheric sciences (PhD, Georgia Tech, 1991).
- He founded Howard University’s atmospheric-science PhD programme in 2001, helping to produce a large proportion of US African American and Latinx graduates in the field.
- His research examines airborne dust, microbial communities on dust grains and their influence on biogeochemistry and modelling of weather and climate.
- Direct, in situ measurements overturned assumptions that microbes could not survive long-range atmospheric transport.
- Morris has mentored over 200 students and created partnerships reaching more than 1,000 undergraduates and graduates.
- He launched No Time for Silence, a collaborative call to action for anti-racism in the geoscience community.
- Despite sustained criticism and pushback, he persisted in building inclusive programmes and defending evidence-based analyses of discrimination.
- His advice to early-career researchers: enjoy the intellectual work, and don’t let others define your success.
Context and relevance
This Q&A sits at the intersection of science, education and social justice. It highlights how institutional change — building programmes, mentoring and advocacy — can shift demographic patterns in a specialised field. Morris’s scientific work on aerosols ties directly to urgent climate and environmental research, while his DEI efforts address longstanding inequities that shape who participates in, and benefits from, that research.
For departments, funders and researchers, the article illustrates scalable actions (programme-building, in-person outreach, data-driven critique) that improve representation and scientific outcomes. It also underscores that rigorous fieldwork can overturn prevailing scientific assumptions.
Why should I read this?
Because it’s a rare mix of proper science and proper activism — told by someone who’s built a programme that tangibly changed who gets to do atmospheric science. If you care about better science, fairer access, or both, this interview is a short, sharp reminder that mentorship, measurement and stubbornness move the needle.
Author style
Punchy. Rachel Crowell condenses Morris’s scientific achievements and his civil-rights-style persistence into a clear profile. This is essential reading for anyone involved in geoscience education, diversity policy or atmospheric research — it shows concrete wins and the methods behind them.
Relevance score
5 – Must Read