Retirement marks a momentous occasion in the academic journey of Andrew Carleton, a distinguished figure in the field of geography. With a career spanning nearly three decades at Penn State, Carleton has left an indelible mark on the realms of physical geography, climatology, and environmental science.
Carleton’s career in academia began with a passion for geography that ignited during his school days in Australia. Geography was a big part of the curriculum, and he delved into coursework on map reading, physical geography, and human geography. His interest in weather and climatology stemmed from a book he stumbled upon in the school library at the age of fourteen, How to Make Your Own Backyard Weather Station. This early fascination with weather laid the foundation for his love of climatology.
“My love of weather really is what got me into climatology,” Carleton said. “I can really trace that back to finding that book in the library. It taught me to build a thermometer shelter and to take measurements on wind speed and direction. I did twice daily observations of the weather at our home in Adelaide every day for two years.”
Following his passion, Carleton would pursue his undergraduate degree in geography and masters degree in climatology at Adelaide University. He then traveled to the United States and earned his Ph.D. at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Having a strong desire for both research and teaching and with three degrees in hand, he knew academia was his calling. Great mentors played a pivotal role in his journey, from Bruce Mason, a meteorologist previously at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, and the late climatologist Peter Lamb during his undergraduate and master’s studies, to the late Roger Barry, his Ph.D. adviser at Colorado. These mentors fueled his love for writing, research, and teaching; skills he has cherished throughout his career.
Carleton worked as an assistant professor at Arizona State University from 1982 to 1985 and as assistant and then associate professor at Indiana University from 1985 to 1994 before landing at Penn State in 1994. His career at Penn State, saw several proud moments. He obtained National Science Foundation grants for his three main research areas: polar low weather systems in the Arctic and Antarctic, jet aviation contrail impacts on climate, and Midwest land surface climate interactions. These grants allowed him to foster research work with graduate students, and seeing their success brought him immense joy. One of the highlights of his career was winning the Wilson Faculty Mentoring award in 2017, affirming his commitment to helping others succeed.
“Each time I got one of those grants it was always a really good feeling,” Carleton said. “I have really thrived on seeing my graduate students be successful. Each time one of my graduate students gets the job, or career that they want and deserve, it’s a really great experience for me as well. I remember when I was in that position and all the hard work that goes into that. That’s always a big reward seeing your graduate students succeed.”
Throughout his career, Carleton has seen the field of geography evolve. Rigid divisions between subdisciplines have broken down, and he’s witnessed a greater integration of knowledge across various branches of geography, breaking barriers between physical geography and human geography. He believes this integration is vital in addressing the important issues and challenges of our time, including climate change and environmental justice.
As he looks forward to retirement, Carleton is actively involved in research collaborations at Penn State, including a Penn State Institute of Energy and the Environment-funded seed project with colleagues in geography and aerospace engineering on contrails’ impacts on climate. Additionally, he enjoys road trips and photography, capturing the beauty of natural landscapes and human impacts.