Global environmental concerns have propelled the atmospheric sciences to international prominence. Well known issues such as the ozone hole, acid rain, and global warming attest to the urgency of atmospherically related problems now facing society.

The Center of Excellence for Aerospace Particulate Emissions Reduction Research is a multidisciplinary effort drawing on the solid base of engineering and sciences provided by Missouri S&T. The Missouri S&T effort is integrated into a national consortium studying the environmental impact of aviation related activities. This program involves close collaboration with several premier national and international research and government institutions. Students from various academic departments perform their thesis research within the laboratory in partial fulfillment of the M.S. or Ph.D. degree requirements of their "home" department.