Western Kentucky University Geography
And Geology Department Announces
New Applied Research Initiatives
May 02, 2003
Bowling Green, Ky. - Equipment additions and improvements will benefit students and faculty conducting meteorological and environmental research at Western Kentucky University.
"Faculty and students are excited about the improved facilities in the department," said Dr. David Keeling, head of the Department of Geography and Geology. "The state-of-the-art equipment provides new educational opportunities for our students and allows our faculty to provide students with several new hands-on experiences in applied science."
Dr. Michael Trapasso and Dr. Rezaul Mahmood received a $25,000 grant to update and expand the meteorology lab facilities by adding 11 computers, a workstation, laptop computer and a specialized printer. Dr. Mahmood also has acquired an advanced computer workstation that will be available for specialized student and faculty applied research in the Kentucky Climate Center.
Dr. Mahmood received a $13,000 grant to purchase 10 tipping-bucket rain gauges and data loggers for the automated recording of precipitation at Mammoth Cave National Park.
Data from the collection network will be used in classroom exercises, student and faculty research and will be provided internationally through the Internet, Dr. Keeling said. The network will provide a unique opportunity for students to study precipitation variability in the mid-latitudes and its impacts on local-scale hydrologic cycles.
The entire project is funded by Western's Action Agenda initiatives, the Hoffman Environmental Research Institute, the Ogden College of Science and Engineering, the Department of Geography and Geology, the Kentucky Climate Center and Mammoth Cave National Park.
The department also has opened the Laboratory for Environmental Policy Analysis and Research (LEPAR), a student-centered computer facility designed to support applied student research on environmental issues. The facility is supported by the Kentucky Climate Center and the Department of Geography and Geology.
For more information, contact David Keeling at (270) 745-4555 or david.keeling@wku.edu. More WKU news is available on the World Wide Web at www.wku.edu. If you'd like to receive WKU news via E-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
