WKU, Mammoth Cave Dedicate
Science And Learning Center
August 18, 2004
Bowling Green, Ky. - Katie Seadler knows the value of partnerships between Western Kentucky University and Mammoth Cave National Park.
And she knows the new Mammoth Cave International Center for Science and Learning will have an impact on students and scientific research.
"I am an example of one of the success stories that have been produced by the collaboration between the park service and Western," Seadler said Wednesday during a dedication ceremony at the center. "The creation of the learning center will ensure many more success stories like myself."
Seadler arrived at Western 11 years ago as a freshman looking for an education and a career. "I wasn't really sure what that career was going to be. Through a general education course by Dr. Chris Groves, I was introduced to caves and karst and the beauty of the underground and the wonder of Mammoth Cave National Park," she said.
"After graduation when I was asked by people 'What do you want to do, where will you be in 10 years,' I would tell them I want to be a hydrologist for Mammoth Cave National Park. Some of them would laugh; some of them didn't."
Five years ago she began a graduate program in geosciences at Western and joined the park as a student hydrologist. Today as an employee of the National Park Service, Seadler is director of the WATERS (Water Analyses Training Education and Research Services) Laboratory, a collaborative project between the park and WKU.
"It is collaborations like the one here today that shape the lives of bright-eyed freshmen like myself so many years ago," she said. "I'm proud to be a part of Mammoth Cave and I'm proud to be a part of Western Kentucky University."
The Mammoth Cave International Center for Science and Learning, a far-reaching partnership between Western and Mammoth Cave National Park, provides a unique facility -- laboratories, classrooms and housing – that brings together top-notch scientific talent with unparalleled natural resources. Mammoth Cave, at 365 miles, is the longest known cave system in the world.
At the center, students of all ages, under the guidance of world-class scientists, will experience hands-on learning, develop their individual potential, and explore mysteries of cave and karst life through scientific research.
The program, located in the park's Maple Springs complex, was established with funding provided through a $225,000 federal appropriation secured by U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
"I was pleased to be able to earmark some funds for this project. I hope that the money will make a difference," McConnell said. "The caves here are internationally famous and we want to keep working to develop the opportunities for people to enjoy the caves and experience the caves."
McConnell thanked park and Western employees for their collaborative efforts. "When you can see the tangible results of an appropriation you've made, it makes you feel good. I'm here today to thank all of you for what you're doing for Mammoth Cave. It's truly a gem," he said.
Western President Gary Ransdell agreed. "Few natural resources exist such as what you are in right now at Mammoth Cave National Park. It is such a rich opportunity. We have so much capability, potential and talent in the departments across our campus which are engaged in this collaboration that it's a natural."
The park's Maple Springs complex, built in the 1930s by Civilian Conservation Corps workers, has been the base camp for a karst field study course offered by WKU's Center for Cave and Karst Studies since 1980.
"Mammoth Cave National Park has enjoyed a productive partnership with Western Kentucky University for many years," Park Superintendent Ronald Switzer said, adding that more than three dozen cooperative agreements are in place. "Collaborative opportunities for scientific investigation and public involvement in education seem to be increasing and have been increasing dramatically over the past few years."
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