WKU Geography Students
Return From British Isles
July 01, 2004
Bowling Green, Ky. - Eight undergraduate students, one graduate student and three geography faculty members from Western Kentucky University returned Tuesday (June 29) from a one-month field camp in the British Isles.
As part of the Department of Geography and Geology's annual Study Abroad and Field Camp program, the British Isles trip introduced students to myriad aspects of the physical and cultural geography of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
Throughout the 30-day program, students examined key elements in the physical and cultural makeup of the region, including an analysis of nationalist movements in Scotland and Northern Ireland, the impact of the European Union on the Irish economy, and climatic influences of the Gulf Stream.
Participating in the field camp were geoscience graduate student Jenna Medlin of Charleston, S.C.; undergraduates Laura Blackburn, a business major from Bowling Green; Ashley Gardner, a health care major from Sonora; Adam Hitt, a broadcasting major from Louisville; Travis Keeling, a geography major from Lewisburg; Ronnie Leeper, a geography major from Bowling Green; Ashley Littell, a geography major from Louisville; Christina Pollard, a photojournalism major from Bowling Green; and Michael Ruble, an elementary art major from Bowling Green.
According to Dr. David Keeling, head of the Department of Geography and Geology, "one of the most exhilarating aspects of any study abroad program is watching students engage with landscapes and cultures different from their own. Learning through experiencing a different culture should be a key element of every undergraduate's university education."
Instructors Debra Kreitzer and Will Blackburn from the Department of Geography and Geology conducted field lectures throughout the program and provided students with a detailed understanding of the physical and cultural geography of the British Isles.
"Next year, we plan on developing a program either in northern Chile and Northwestern Argentina, or in Australia," Dr. Keeling said.
Students interested in study abroad opportunities in the Department of Geography and Geology should contact Debbie Kreitzer at (270) 745-5981 or the department office at (270) 745-4555.
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