Illinois State Water Survey

Hydroclimatologist Dr. Trent Ford is the current Illinois State Climatologist. His research interests include soil moisture, land-atmosphere interactions, and monitoring and predicting extreme climate events such as drought and heat waves. A native of Roanoke, Illinois, Ford previously was an assistant professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Resources at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He earned a bachelor’s in geography from Illinois State University before completing his master’s and PhD at Texas A&M University.

Texas A&M University - College Station, Texas

PhD (Geography): August 2015

Texas A&M University - College Station, Texas

Master of Science (Geography): May 2013

Illinois State University - Normal, Illinois

Bachelor of Science (Geography): May 2011