PYRAMIDS: AN EXAMPLE OF HUMAN VS. CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS

By Michael Trapasso

       I usually don’t go around spouting philosophy; I have a hard enough time just trying to mind my own business. However, over the last few years, I have developed a doctrine I would like to share with you. It involves, to some extent, the mystery of pyramids. At least in terms of form versus function.
      In the mid 1970s, in his book Chariots of the Gods , Erik Von Daniken theorized that extraterrestrial beings had visited the earth through history, and taught 'idiot humans' how to build pyramids. The theory was always hard to swallow….these days I dismiss it altogether. Ever since I explored my first Mayan City in 1982, the pyramid shape has held me in awe. Climbing a variety of pyramids through time and space has helped me establish an idea of my own. Nothing brilliant you understand, but one that involves all the pyramids I have ever seen. In the past two years, I have expanded my exploration of ancient civilizations away from the Maya, and entered the realm of the Aztecs, the Incas, and the ancient Egyptians. I’ve undergone a ‘mad rush’ to visit the major known civilizations that built pyramids and to try and understand why they built them.
       I base my doctrine on the simple fact that some things we do, we do because of our culture (e.g., music, food, language, religion…). However, there are other things we do simply because we are human (e.g., every civilization has a God or Gods, every civilization has a political hierarchy, every civilization has a mythology…). These things we do because we are human, and they transcend political boundaries as well as continents. So is the case with pyramids. Any civilization that can build structures of stone, terra cotta, or even dirt, will eventually build a pyramid-like edifice. This is a human trait. It is not specific to the Egyptians or the Maya, or anyone else for that matter. This is a human trait.
       Are these magnificent, huge, symmetrical structures difficult to build? Of course they are. Theories abound as to how the stones are cut, transported, and arranged. They require tremendous amounts of manpower. Can humans actually build pyramids? Of course they can, and the proof is all over the world. Experts have even established some of the techniques used in construction. While visiting Saqsaywaman, in Peru, a guide was explaining how the Incas quarried their massive blocks of limestone. I mentally noted that they used the same techniques as the ancient Egyptians did in their quarries. Humans are pretty bright at times, and can figure out how to do all kinds of things. It is not a surprise that one can find pyramids in Egypt, Central America, Mexico, the Andes Mountains, the interior of China, and the southeastern U.S. Pyramids are not unique! They are a fairly common human endeavor.
       Almost invariably the pyramid has a religious purpose. It is a structure that brings people closer to the heavens… closer to god. Keep in mind humans almost invariably pray upward. Though some religions hold gods of the underworld, or gods of evil, most of the gods reside in the heavens. People may tilt their heads down in humility and reverence, but the god they pray to lives above. Therefore, the ultimate temple to the gods is a structure that begins with a square base then slants inward as well as upward… in other words, a pyramid. There is nothing magical about this shape. It simply makes sense.

       Culture comes into play when we discover why the pyramids were built. These are the characteristics that make them unique. In other words, building pyramids is a basic human project; what we do with the pyramids reflects the culture of the people involved. Again, almost invariably, the pyramid has a religious purpose. After that, the uses are quite different. The great pyramids of Egypt were burial monuments. Within them lies a chamber in which the Pharaoh was laid to rest until his rebirth into the afterlife.
       Massive pyramids found in the People’s Republic of China were also used to bury a selected Emperor or two. These structures were gigantic mounds of earth, less impressive than their Egyptian counterparts, but more massive.
       Thousands of years ago, even our own Native Americans built pyramid-like structures in Georgia and Tennessee. Some were used as burial mounds, while others where used to hold religious rituals. According to archeologists, these rituals brought gifts to the gods and probably did not include sacrifices of any kind.
       Though occasionally a Mayan King was buried in a pyramid, in general these Mayan structures were not used in the same way as the Egyptians, the Chinese, or Native American tribes. To the Maya, pyramids were temples and staging areas, where only an elite person or small group of people could pray to the heavens. Perhaps an enemy's head would roll, perhaps a virgin would die, or the King himself would let his own blood flow as a sacrifice. Whatever went on up there, it was in clear view of masses of people. This was a temple, an altar, and a visible stage. The Maya made their pyramids to be climbed … no one was ever meant to ascend an Egyptian pyramid!
       The Aztecs were much like the Maya; their pyramids were made for praying and sacrificing people and animals to the god(s) they were trying to appease. Aztec and Mayan pyramids were always constructed with stairs. At times, massive amounts of blood flowed down these stairs, as a testimony to a successful ritual. Egyptian pyramids, on the other hand, were usually smooth-sided.
       I only encountered one pyramid while visiting Inca sites in the Peruvian Andes. At Machu Picchu, the one pyramid extant was not for burial, nor was it for human sacrifice (the Incas did their bloodletting upon other altars in the city). This pyramid was used for astronomical observations and as a very precise calendar. This was a scientific and cosmological center. At the top, various structures pointed to exact cardinal directions. There were also remnants of chairs where astronomers of the time could observe the stars with directional precision. With the Incas, the pyramid was a place of science and learning.
       I will spare you multiple descriptions of all the pyramids I have climbed and I will conclude with the following. Humans can build pyramids. They have done so all over the world. They did not require instruction from extraterrestrial beings. Building pyramids is a characteristic of humans building a civilization. What was the purpose of the pyramids? Well that’s the cultural part of the scheme, and can be as varied as the civilizations themselves.

GEOLOGY IN THE NEWS

Leading Geologists Impact Western

by Fred Siewers

       The Geosciences and the Department of Geography and Geology were in the campus spotlight this past Spring due to visits by two internationally-renown geologists: Drs Walter Alvarez and Orrin Pilkey. Dr Alvarez, a geologist and geophysicist from the University of California at Berkeley, is a leading authority on the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) mass extinction, an episode in Earth history that led to the demise of the dinosaurs and other life. In the 1980s, he and his father, Louis Alvarez, were the first to provide evidence that the extinction coincided with the impact of a large comet or meteor, evidence that is central to the “impact theory” that most scientists feel explains the K-T mass extinction. Dr Alvarez came to Western Kentucky University to present a community-wide lecture on his work as part of the campus’ Cultural Enhancement Series. His talk was outstanding and a big hit with the nearly 700 people in attendance. Those in Geography and Geology and some of the other sciences also met with Dr. Alvarez in more informal settings, including a classroom interactive session and a dinner hosted by the Geology Club. All who came into contact with Dr. Alvarez were impressed with his congenial manner and his interest in talking with students. He, in turn, was impressed with the campus and the number of people who had read his book T.Rex and the Crater of Doom (required reading in all the geology courses!).

       Immediately after Walter Alvarez’s visit came Orrin Pilkey’s visit. Dr Pilkey is the James B. Duke Professor of Geology at Duke University and the Director of that university’s Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines. He is well known for his work on barrier islands and his efforts to protect coastal environments from development. Among many other accomplishments, he led the effort to move the Cape Hatteras lighthouse away from the advancing Atlantic shoreline. Dr Pilkey came to Western as the speaker for the annual Sigma Xi banquet. In addition to his banquet speech, he presented a talk to Ogden College entitled “Rising Seas and Shifting Shores, the American Coastal Erosion Problem.” This talk was attended by a significant number of Geography and Geology students and was very well received. All who attended were greatly impressed with Pilkey’s dynamism and his commitment to the environment.
       Western was truly blessed this past Spring with visits by some of the leading scientists of our time. Dr Fred Siewers from the Department led the initial lobbying effort to bring both Alvarez and Pilkey to campus and was responsible for many of the logistics and organizational details for these successful visits. The tremendous turnout and the warm reception these scientists received are strong evidence of the public interest in geoscience research and geoscience-related environmental issues.

Hot Tomalley! The Geology Club Remembers Maine

by Ken Kuehn

       Five students and two Geology faculty capped their summer with a week-long geo-tour of coastal Maine. Undergraduate Geology majors Nate Jones, Laura DeMott, Bethany Overfield, Melissa Thornton, and Geosciences Master’s candidate Joey Islas were the student participants. Drs Fred Siewers and Ken Kuehn were the faculty leaders. Our group assembled at the Manchester, NH, airport on August 5th and proceeded north to our initial destination at the Siewers’ family homestead in Sedgwick, Maine.
       A tour of Acadia National Park was our first order of business, as well as a look at many interesting features of Mt. Desert Island overall. The island, Maine’s largest at nearly 108 square miles, was named by Samuel de Champlain in 1604. It contains a range of northeast trending coastal hills that have been scoured by glaciers creating a series of north-south valleys. The hills include Cadillac Mountain, which at 1530 feet of elevation is the highest peak on the eastern seaboard. Acadia National Park itself comprises 47,633 acres of Mt. Desert Island and 41 miles of its coastline. In 1929, Acadia became the first national park to be established east of the Mississippi River. The Park’s diverse scenery includes the high hills of bald granite, evergreen forests, 100-foot tall sea cliffs, cobbled shorelines, harbors and coves, freshwater lakes and ponds, and a variety of glacial features. This natural splendor is enjoyed by approximately 4,000,000 people each year and lamentably it seemed that most of them were right there beside us, on the peak of the tourist season. Once off the well-trod path of the park’s Outer Loop Road, however, the quiet, natural beauty of our surroundings became apparent and often postcard perfect.
       A brief accounting of our geological observations follows: The Ellsworth Schist is the oldest rock unit exposed on Mt. Desert Island. It originally accumulated as sedimentary layers of marine and volcanic debris during Cambro-Ordovician time about 500Ma. Then, in the Late Ordovician and Early Silurian Periods these layers were metamorphosed as a part of the Avalonian tectonic plate and became schists and gneisses. Today, the Ellsworth is exposed in the northwestern portion of the island and was the first rock type we saw as we approached Acadia’s visitor information center.
       The second oldest rock unit is the Bar Harbor Formation which we viewed along the Shore Path in Bar Harbor during a hike. This is a gently dipping sequence of submarine silts and sands, with much original depositional texture still preserved. This indicates it was not exposed to the strong tectonic forces that altered the Ellsworth Schist. The Bar Harbor Formation has been dated at 410Ma and unconformably overlies the Ellsworth.
       The Cranberry Island Series comprises rocks exposed on the Cranberry Islands themselves, along the southern part of Mt. Desert Island, and on Isle au Haut. These were deposited during in the Early Devonian time about 380Ma and are primarily volcanic tuffs, rhyolitic lava flows, and sediments. Our group took a relaxing cruise through the Cranberry Islands on the daily mail boat which delivers passengers and goods to these outposts. Later, we viewed these lithologies closely on Isle au Haut during a day-long outing by private boat that included some hiking and exploring on the island.
       Intrusive igneous rocks compose most of Mt. Desert Island. Plutons ranging from gabbro through diorite, rich in iron and magnesium minerals, intruded first. We observed these cropping out along the Great Head in Acadia. Massive granite plutons followed, signifying the peak of the Acadian Orogeny between 380Ma and 360Ma with the collision between the North American and Avalonian tectonic plates. Our group had a detailed look at the granite of Hall Quarry, a now inactive pit that was begun more than one hundred years ago. Large blocks cut from the Somesville Granite there were carried by schooners to their ports of destination and can be seen today in major cities all along the coast.
       An intriguing ‘shatter zone’, or highly brecciated mixture of older rock in a matrix of granite was examined near Sand Beach. Presumably this wide band, exposed at many locales, evidences the forcible emplacement of the Cadillac Mountain Granite into the surrounding country rock. By the end of the Acadian Orogeny, mountains as tall as the modern Rockies existed in the region. The igneous and metamorphic rocks we viewed are exposed at the surface today because of subsequent periods of uplift and erosion and represent the cores of those once mighty mountains.
       The beautiful appearance of the modern landscape, however, is due mainly to the extensive action of glaciers during the Pleistocene Epoch. The overall shapes of the mountains, their grooved and striated surfaces, till deposits, moraines, and a fjord (Somes Sound) are all testament to the earth-shaping power of the ice. Around 14000 years ago the ice stopped its advance and meltwaters began to drown the shoreline and create the fabulously complex coast we have today; a coast that is dotted by countless small islands and shallow ledges. Linear bodies of freshwater such as Eagle Lake, Echo Lake, and Jordan Pond are other remnants of the great glaciers. Also noteworthy is that the land itself has rebounded since the glacial melt back, raising itself up at least 225 feet.
       Between geology excursions, the group enjoyed many other new experiences. There was an afternoon whale-watch cruise, where we spotted four finback whales (second largest whale) and several Atlantic porpoises. One morning, several early risers drove to the top of Cadillac Mountain before 5:00 am to enjoy the celebrated sunrise there. This is the very first place in the continental United States to meet the sun each day. We also took considerable advantage of the bountiful sea fare and tasty local beverages. In this domain, a notable highlight was Dr Siewers’ impromptu lecture on how to consume and enjoy whole ‘lobstah’. I am pleased to report the entire group earned an ‘A’ on the subsequent practicum! We learned that real epicures consider the true lobster delicacy to be the ‘tomalley’, which Dr Siewers also invited us to consume. (To the uninitiated, the term ‘tomalley’ has a 17th century Caribbean origin and basically means ‘greasy green lobster guts’!)
       The return trip south toward Manchester included brief stops at picturesque coastal towns such as Freeport. Known as the birthplace of Maine, Freeport is where papers were signed in 1820 to separate Maine from Massachusetts and earn it statehood. To our group, however, Freeport was much better known as the location of the famous outfitter L.L. Bean, so time and money were spent experiencing its huge retail store there.
       One very full day was spent exploring and collecting minerals in Maine’s famous pegmatites, including a stop at Mt. Apatite. Maine boasts two huge and gemologically important pegmatite districts, the Topsham District near the coast and the Paris-Rumford District in the west-central part of the state. Prior research by grad student Joey Islas prepared us to visit several dormant mines that once provided feldspars and micas for various manufacturing purposes. Our real interest, however, were the rare gem minerals that can occur as accessories in these deposits. Pegmatites are unusual igneous intrusions that represent the last and most hydrous portion of a granitic magma. They are often enriched in rare elements and are texturally characterized by large, individual crystals that can range from less than an inch up to several feet in length! We collected samples of black, green, and pink tourmaline, beryl, topaz, and a few others, though no real gem quality specimens were found.
       Over the course of the day, we encountered about 50 local rockhounds who were busy digging, hammering, washing, and screening, and it soon became apparent that we were greatly outmatched. The local folk were quite neighborly though, and instructed us as to what to look for and how to go about it. A real treat came from advice to visit Perham’s store located in Paris, Maine. There, amongst the gems and other samples offered for sale, were huge, museum-quality minerals on display. These represented about 40 years of collecting by Frank Perham and family, and they have even contributed some of their outstanding specimens to the Smithsonian collection. One large, colorless, topaz crystal, for example, was priced at more than $7,000! What a special treat it was to see such fine specimens! The town of Paris, Maine, itself is noted in history as being the first place in the United States that gem-grade tourmaline was discovered.
       Our fabulous week concluded with departure from the Manchester, NH, airport on August 12th. We covered about 1,400 miles in all, with countless stops along the way. The ardors of camping and the record high temperatures made everyone pretty frazzled and numb by week’s end. The only remaining question that anyone could ask was, “How can we possibly top this for next summer?”

FACULTY ACTIVITIES

   JIM BINGHAM writes that he should start out by indicating that, with the full retirement of Jim Davis, he could claim the title of the “OLD ??????” of the Department. However, Pete is still teaching parttime and Jim thinks he should be given the title since he has more gray hair and is “several” years older.
       Among the most important highlights of the past year are: he is a year closer to retirement. Jim plans to teach at least, if his health holds out, until he can “draw” social insecurity as well as KTRS. About three more years should do it but one never knows what the future may hold.
       The Department has continued to make progress even with limited resources provided by the University and the Commonwealth. This progress has been the result of a lot of time-consuming work by the faculty. Jim understands that G&G was the most productive department on campus this past year. He spent most of the year doing what he likes to do best—teaching. Starting with summer 2000 and continuing through summer 2001, Jim managed to teach a total of 17 classes, including three in Glasgow and two in Owensboro. Based on his observations both on and off campus, he remains unconvinced that there is anything positive about KERA with respect to increased geographic knowledge.
      Jim presented a paper at the annual Kentucky Academy of Science meeting dealing with the increasing Hispanic population in the Commonwealth. His current geographic research includes a number of projects. One deals with population changes from 1990 to 2000 in Kentucky’s small towns, utilizing data from the 2000 Census. A second project deals with Kentucky’s increasing motor vehicle and related manufacturing activities. The Commonwealth now ranks third in total light motor-vehicle production in the U.S.A. A third study deals with changes in Kentucky’s central place structure and hierarchy from 1950 to 2000. A fourth study revolves around commuting in Kentucky from 1990 to 2000 and will be incorporated with the past two commuting studies that Wayne and Jim completed earlier.
       Jim’s current personal interest and partially geographic research includes a study dealing with the role of topography in cavalry activities in Kentucky and Tennessee during the civil War, a study which examines the importance of steamboats and river landings in the early development of Hardin County, Tennessee, and a study related to the role of African-American farmers in western Tennessee during the 1800s.
       With respect to avocation rather than vocation, Jim continues to be actively engaged in growing and hybridizing irises. Additionally, he hopes to introduce several more irises during the coming years as the hybridizing starts to gain momentum. He is especially looking forward to spring 2002 when the American Iris Society holds its annual meeting in Memphis; Jim plans to have several of his introductions on display.
       Also, Jim must report that he has two new black and white Shih Tzu pups to replace Kelly who finally checked out at eighteen and went to “doggie” heaven. The pups will be a year old on September 9 and are named “Tenn” and “Tuck” – bet you cannot figure out the origin of their names.
      JIM WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM ALL PAST STUDENTS AND ESPECIALLY THOSE FROM 1965 TO 1980. PLEASE COME TO SEE US THIS HOMECOMING. And to PROFESSOR DR. TGM, “KEEP ON ROLLING WITH THE FLOW,” Jim is.

   SCOTT DOBLER is starting his second year with Western Kentucky University. He received is undergraduate degree from Morehead State University in geography, with a minor in biology. Scott received his M.A. from Bowling Green State University in climatology in 1990. During the last decade he worked in the field of geography as a GIS specialist and as an education sales representative. His specific interests are in Geoscience (go figure), K-12 education, recruitment and retention as well as outreach.

   NICK CRAWFORD accompanied his wife, Whit, as her “spouse,” while she was honored for three days last summer in Washington, D.C., as the Jefferson ward recipient for southcentral Kentucky. Whit received the award for her volunteer work as President of the Board of Directors for Friends of Lost River and for her many years of work for Kids on the Block and other volunteer activities. Under a grant from General Motors and the United Auto Workers Union to the Center for Cave and Karst Studies, Nick taught a 2.5 hour workshop on the local environmental for over a year, ending last December. The workshop was offered to Corvette Factory employees, 25 different employees each week. Incredibly, the Workshop began at 6:00 am each Thursday morning and, even more incredibly, Nick was never late! The workshop was directed toward living on a karst landscape and dealt with sinkhole flooding, sinkhole collapses, groundwater contamination, earthquakes, and radon. The Corvette employees, most of whom moved here from other states, seemed to appreciate the information about Bowling Green ad its karst environment.
       In October 2000, Nick presented three papers at the Mammoth Cave National Park’s Eighth Science Conference, and the papers, written by 11 students, were published in the Proceedings. In November, Nick and his students presented five papers at the Kentucky Academy of Science Meeting in Lexington. Nick presented a paper on a new problem in Bowling Green, where gasoline vapors from the karst aquifer were rising into a large church and church school in Bowling Green. Nine students who worked on the dye traces and microgravity research for the project were co-authors of the paper. A paper presented by Kathryn Seadler and co-authored by Shanna Restall, Terry Flynn (Barren River Health Dept) and Nick dealt with residential radon levels. A paper presented by Joel Despain and co-authored by William Blackburn, Susan Marklin and Nick dealt with sinkhole flooding mitigation research at Egypt Parking Lot, a Center for Cave and Karst Studies project funded by a grant from the City of Bowling Green. Joseph Islas presented a paper, co-authored by Thomas Brackman and Nick, on microgravity and resistivity research, and Thomas Brackman presented a paper, co-authored by Leigh Anne Croft, George Ryan and Nick, on a geophysical investigation to locate a spring under a landfill in Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee. This successful investigation, funded through a grant to the Center for Cave and Karst Studies, was directed by our new Center Hydrogeologist Leigh Anne Croft.
       In December 2000, Nick presented the paper, “Microgravity Investigations of Sinkhole Collapses Under Highways,” at the First International Conference on the Application of Geophysical Methodologies to Transportation Facilities and Infrastructure, St. Louis, MO. The paper was published in the Proceedings. In April, 2001, Nick attended the Eighth Multidisciplinary Conference on Sinkholes and the Engineering and Environmental Impacts of Karst, Louisville, KY. Nick led a field trip for the conference in Bowling Green. The field trip guide, “Environmental Problems Associated with Urban Development Upon Karst, Bowling Green, Kentucky,” was published in Beck and Herring (eds.) Geotechnical and Environmental Applications of Karst Geology and Hydrology, the Conference proceedings.
       In May, Nick presented a USEPA Workshop in Virginia, “Source Area Identification and Protection in Karst,” under a grant to the Center for Cave and Karst Studies. In June, Nick directed the Karst Field Studies Program, coordinated this year by the Center’s new Administrative Assistant, Rita Collins. This was the 22nd year for this highly successful program of one-week courses/workshops. Again, Nick and Dr. Will White, Penn State University, taught the Karst Hydrology course. Other courses taught by Department Adjunct faculty included: Speleology – Mr. Roger Brucker; Exploration – Dr. Stan Sides; Karst Geology – Dr. Art Palmer; and Hydrology of the Edwards Aquifer (offered in San Antonio, Texas) – Dr. George Veni.
       During July, Nick and Whit took their first two-week vacation in 32 years. They have an old cruiser and they spent the time exploring and enjoying beautiful Lake Cumberland near Somerset, Kentucky. However, during the vacation, Nick was able to direct a karst geophysical investigation for a section of the proposed new route for Highway 27, funded by the State Department of Transportation by a grant to the Center for Cave and Karst Studies. The month-long investigation involved seven of our students and included microgravity, electrical resistivity and cave mapping. Nick also found time to present four papers at the National Speleological Society Convention held at nearby Mt. Vernon, Kentucky. Two of the papers presented were co-authored by 12 students who participated in this research.
       Also in July, both Nick and Chris Grove were listed as authors of an award-winning book on karst entitled, Living With Karst. The first author, deserving most of the credit, was Dr George Veni. George is a graduate of our MS degree program. He is also the Center for Cave and Karst Studies representative on the POD Board of Directors and an adjunct professor in our Department as an instructor for the Karst Field Studies Program each summer. Many of the photographs, diagrams and examples in the book are of the Bowling Green area. Thanks, George, the Department of Geography and Geology is proud of your accomplishments.

   STUART FOSTER has been appointed State Climatologist for Kentucky. As the new director of the Kentucky Climate Center, he spent much of the year becoming familiar with the day-to-day operations of the Center and developing a strategic plan for the Center. Shortly after assuming his duties, Stuart attended the American Association of State Climatologists annual meeting in Logan, Utah, where Glen Conner and he presented The Kentucky Climate Center. Dr. Foster gave a presentation, El Niño, La Niña, and Kentucky’s Climatic Extremes ,at the Kentucky Academy of Science Meeting in Lexington. In May, he attended the Kentucky GIS Conference in Lexington, where he gave a joint presentation titled Developing GeoProfiles for Kentucky’s Weather Stations, with Ron Taylor, a research assistant in the Kentucky Climate Center. Dr. Foster also directed a project titled Natural Hazards and Their Impacts on Agricultural and Urban Development in the Barren River Area for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and the Barren River Area Development District.

    CHRIS GROVES year has, overall, been pleasant and productive. The only trying thing was a series of strange accidents during 2001. In February Chris fell into a pit when a ledge broke off in Sides Cave near Mammoth Cave National Park, and he spent ten days in a Louisville hospital after a prolonged and wet rescue. The help and wellwishes that followed were deeply appreciated, especially that of his pals Joe Meiman and Brice Leech for saving his life in the cave, his lovely wife Deana who took care of him constantly for the next month, and his other pals Scott Dobler and Alan Glennon for keeping up with his WKU responsibilities.
       In May, while Dr Groves was hiking to some caves with graduate student Joel Despain for a research project high up in the mountains of California's Sequoia National Park, a mountainside rockfall hit their friend (and Joel's fiancé) Kate Lysaght in the head, breaking her skull and knocking her unconscious into a mountain river. With the help of a few NPS rangers and Sequoia's Assistant Cave Specialist (and department alumni) Shane Fryer, they got her out still breathing, and carried her about a half mile to an ambulance and helicopter. Happily, she is making a full recovery. Chris also visited the Fresno emergency room for 18 leg staples for a cut obtained during the excitement.
       Otherwise, the Hoffman Environmental Research Institute (HERI) continues to evolve as an integral component of the Center for Water Resource Studies Program of Distinction. With grants from the US EPA, National Park Service, National Science Foundation, and Kentucky Department of Agriculture, HERI has carried out an active environmental research program in drinking water source protection, Geographic Information Systems, karst hydrogeology and aquifer protection, and carbon cycle geochemistry. A highlight was the WKU Student Research Conference, where seven Hoffman Institute graduate and undergraduate students gave talks, and Katie Seadler and Rhonda Pfaff received awards for outstanding presentations. Over the next year, Institute students will present research findings at four regional and five national scientific conferences in Kentucky, Massachusetts, Arizona, and Florida, and Maine. Significant progress continues on several joint Hoffman Institute-National Park Service (NPS) education and research projects. Joel Despain and David Ek both made great progress in their NPS-tailored Karst Resource Management M.S. degrees and, in January, Dr Groves met with the Assistant Director of the National Park Service in Washington to discuss and develop support for the program. At Mammoth Cave National Park, joint work with Park Hydrologist Joe Meiman marches on very nicely.
       Since a large percentage of his responsibilities in the summer takes place via email, Groves was able to join Deana at the University of Hawaii for the 2001 summer, where she continued working in a summer graduate program in Library and Information Sciences. With a laptop, work for Chris carried on just about as normal, and certainly with a nice backdrop for it.

ALUMNI NEWS

ALUMNI CONTRIBUTIONS

         Contributions to the Department of Geography and Geology Development Fund in 2000 (including the Wayne Hoffman Memorial Fund) surpassed $6,000 in cash and other gifts. The number of individual contributions to our Fund topped the 80 mark! Thanks to everyone for helping us achieve our goals this year, but we continue to need your help now more than ever as budgets remain extremely limited; your contribution goes a long way to ensuring that we can support student research, scholarships, and field work. When you receive a call from our students, or whenever the spirit moves you, make a contribution to the Department and to the University. You can also gift funds to the Hoffman Memorial Fund, in memory of Wayne L. Hoffman, who led the Department for nearly 25 years. Be sure to specify that the money be designated for use by the Department of Geography and Geology. Our profound thanks to our contributing alumni. We gratefully acknowledge gifts from:

Mr/Mrs Tony L. Allen; Charles Allen; Tony Craig Alison; American Association of Petroleum Geologists Foundation; Jerry P. Battistello; Mr/Mrs Monty S. Bertram; Joseph H. Bishop; Teresa Bishop; Sam Boyd; Irvin Gene Boysen; Mr/Mrs Michael Burke; Mrs/Mr Alice Burks; Michael G. Burress; Kathleen R. Butorvak; Gilbert T. Calhoun, Jr.; John Kenneth Carmichael; Wade Carroll; Harvey Lee Clark, Jr.; Mr/Mrs Richey B. Cline; Ronald E. Coulter; James Damron; Julie Ann Domian; Ruth Price Duncan; Shawn D. Dye; Jeanne C. Elliott; Mr/Mrs Jerry Finley; Mr/Mrs Mark H. Freer; Mr/Mrs Brian Goffinet; Jerry C. Griffin; Virginia Lee Hagee; John Hambley; Albert Hamm; Joel K. Hargis; Michael E. Hazelett; Ruth Hoffman; William Jackson; James Johnson; David J. Keeling; Phil Lee Kelly; Timothy E. Kelly; Kentucky Claims Service; Mr/Mrs Robin J. Lewis; Christopher P. Logan; Dr/Mrs Frederick Mader; Mammoth Cave Karst Conference 1998; Thomas Martin; Jonathan McCay; Mr/Mrs Bill McKenzie; Byron K. Morris; Dr. Joseph Murphy; William Neisz; Mr/Mrs David Orne; Dorothy S.D. Paschall; William D. Peyton II; Gregory W. Powell; Leonard Pyzynski; Elissa Rees; George M. Rogers; Sharon D. Rouse; John J. Savary; Mr/Mrs John Selva; James P. Shaw; Randolph Shields; Nancy G. Speakman; Harry L. Spires; Mr/Mrs Tom H. Springer; Andrew T. Spurling; Mr/Mrs William Steedly; Mark Stonex; Dr/Mrs James W. Taylor; James T. Tinsley; Marvin Warren; Patricia C. Warren; Mr/Mrs Terry Wease; Aric D. Wilhelm; Gregory L. Willoughby; Mr/Mrs Shaun Winter; Ross W. Workman; John T.M. Yewell

ALUMNI NEWS

   Lamon E. Ellwood (Geography 1938) served as President of the GeoClub between 1937 and 1938. Lamon taught in Paoli until 1942 and then served in the US Air Force from 1942 until 1945. He retired from teaching in 1984 after a very successful career as a school principal. Lamon now lives in Paoli, Indiana.
Jeremy Fisher (A.S. Met Tech 1994) graduated from UNC-Asheville with a BS in Atmospheric Sciences in May 1997. He works for the Mobile Weather Team, Inc., a private company contracted by the PGA Tour to provide on-site weather information for all PGA-related golf tournaments. The Weather Channel joined as a major sponsor in January 2000, and the team is now known as the Weather Channel Team when working at golf tournaments. Jeremy married Cheryl Y. Coburn on September 4, 2000.
Joe Glenn Hughes (Geography 1963) and his spouse, Linda, have retired from the school district and now live in Phoeniz, Arizona.
Thomas A. Martin (MPS 1979) recently became a site acquisition manager for SDS Windows in Kentucky after six years as a planning/community development consultant with a Kentucky A&E firm. Thomas lives in Lexington.
McDonald, Kenneth W. (MS 1995) is a major in the U.S. Army and currently is stationed in Taegu, Korea, which is about 3 hours southeast of Seoul. Ken is Chief, Base Operations (BASOPS) Programs for the Korean Peninsula. He works on all the infrastructure and engineering issues for the 80+ bases in Korea. Ken hopes to be posted to the Geography and Environmental Engineering Pro-gram at the West Point Military Academy at the conclusion of his Korea tour.
Daniel G. Vara (Geography 1967) teaches for the Public School system in Boston, Massachusetts. He currently is teaching the new College Board Advanced Placement Test in Human Geography to fifteen enthusiastic seniors at suburban Boston Braintree High School, where he has taught since 1969.

Fill out the Alumni Information sheet on the next page and mail it to the Department today. We want to know how your career and life are progressing. You can also attach a small passport-sized picture of yourself, if you like, that we can publish alongside your news.

I predict a fantastic 2002 if you send in your Alumni Information sheet right away............