Aditya Kar

Aditya Kar, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Geology in the College of Arts and Sciences at Fort Valley State University (FVSU), Georgia, a position he has held since Fall 1998. Concurrently he serves as Director of STEM Excellence at FVSU (2015–present) and has held visiting or adjunct appointments at Georgia State University, Georgia Tech, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Education

• Ph.D. in Geology, University of Oklahoma (1997)
• M.S. in Geology, Virginia Tech (1991)
• B.S. in Geology (minors in Mathematics & Physics), Jadavpur University, India (1987)

Research Interests

Dr. Kar’s scholarly work integrates geochemistry and petrology of ocean-island volcanic systems, particularly Ascension Island basalts, with metamorphic petrology and fluid-inclusion studies of the southern Appalachian Uchee Belt. Equally prominent is his dedication to STEM education and diversity, where he designs curricula, online climate-science courses, and national pipeline programs that transition under-represented minority students from high school through dual-degree partnerships into geoscience and engineering careers.

Scientific Awards & Honors

• Outstanding Mentor Award, CDEP/FVSU (2017)
• eCore Hero Award for online teaching excellence (2017)
• ExxonMobil Award (~$6,000 annually, 2005–2010)
• Shell Faculty Awards (total $60,000, 1998–2000)

Grants & Leadership

Dr. Kar has secured over $700,000 in federal and industry funding, including NSF REU, NASA climate-education, DOE reservoir-characterization, and DOD mathematics-laboratory grants. He founded FVSU’s student chapter of the National Association of Black Geoscientists, authored six educational workbooks, and developed 3+2 dual-degree agreements with UT-Austin, Penn State, University of Arkansas, and UNLV, yielding ~150 minority STEM graduates.

Laboratory & Team

At FVSU he directs the STEM Excellence unit, oversees geology and physical-science teaching laboratories, and mentors an active cohort of undergraduate researchers who present annually at GSA, AGU, and NABG conferences.