Bowling Green, Ky. - Research from two Western Kentucky University geoscience research groups was featured last week at the National Cave and Karst Management Symposium in Albany, N.Y.

Geoscience graduate students Pat Kambesis, Johanna Kovarik and Melissa Hendrickson and undergraduate geology major Jeremy Tallent presented the results of projects under way in WKU’s Hoffman Environmental Research Institute and the Center for Cave and Karst Studies.

Students and faculty in the centers are conducting a number of studies focusing on understanding and protecting cave resources. The projects include both investigation of methodologies as well as case studies in the United States and China. Both of the research centers are housed within WKU’s Applied Research and Technology Program.

“The work that we are able to do in these programs allows students to make a real contribution to the protection and management of fragile natural resources, while simultaneously increasing their technical experience and critical thinking skills,” said Dr. Chris Groves, Hoffman Institute director. “Having them give presentations at national conferences also gets the word out about the dynamic and growing water, Geographic Information Systems and karst research programs here at WKU.”

The multidisciplinary projects also involved the development of collaborative, synergistic relationships between not only the two WKU research groups, but with The Nature Conservancy and the Institute of Karst Geology in Guilin, China.

“Doing collaborative work is increasingly important for students and faculty alike, as human-environment problems are not one-dimensional,” said Dr. David Keeling, head of the Geography and Geology Department. “Finding solutions to these problems requires a holistic, multidisciplinary approach that can incorporate myriad perspectives and scientific points of view. In Ogden College, we are continually striving to build collaborative research relationships that can enhance the learning experiences of our students.”

Presentations at National Cave and Karst Management Symposium included:

Pat Kambesis, Chris Groves, Andrea Croskrey, Johanna Kovarik and Jiang Zhongcheng, “Chinese/American Cooperation in Cave Management and Study at Wanhua Cave, Hunan Province, China.”

Melissa Hendrickson, Pat Kambesis, Richie Kessler and Chris Groves, “Collaborative Efforts Between University and Non-Profit Groups in the Evaluation of Cave and Karst Resources.”

Jeremy Tallent, Nick Crawford and Pat Kambesis, “Correlating Geophysics and Cave Cartography for Greater Accuracy and Application.”

Johanna Kovarik and Pat Kambesis, “Cave Resource Inventories: Why Are They Important?”

More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

For information, contact Chris Groves at (270) 745-5201.