Bowling Green, Ky. - Dr. Vijay Singh, Arthur K. Barton Endowed Professor of Civil Engineering at Louisiana State University, will discuss the impact of flooding from Hurricane Katrina had on New Orleans during a visit to Western Kentucky University next month.

Dr. Singh, director of LSU’s water resources program, will deliver this year’s lecture for the William A. and Joyce R. Bell Excellence Fund for Civil Engineering. “New Orleans: The 2005 Flooding and its Consequences” will begin at 7 p.m. May 4 at the Knicely Conference Center auditorium at WKU’s South Campus.

Dr. Singh, an eminent scholar and author of several books on water resources, was president of the American Institute of Hydrology and is Editor-In-Chief of the American Society of Civil Engineers Journal of Hydrological Engineering. Besides his qualifications, Dr. Singh is physically located near the epicenter of Hurricane Katrina damage.

“We are very excited about Dr. Singh’s visit and the timing is perfect,” said Dr. Warren Campbell, coordinator of WKU’s new floodplain management minor. “As far as we know, this is the first floodplain management minor in the U.S.”

The goal of the minor is to improve floodplain management in Kentucky, in the region, and ultimately in the nation. Through the minor, WKU will help create a pool of professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to reduce the impacts of events like Katrina.

The minor, offered through the Department of Engineering and the Department of Geography and Geology, requires 21 semester hours with required courses in floodplain management, geographic information systems, surveying and hydrology.

The keystone course, CE300 Floodplain Management, will be taught for the first time this fall. Successful completion of the class requires passing the national Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) Exam. Communities participating in the National Flood Insurance Program should appoint a floodplain manager who assures compliance with federal regulations.

“Dr. Singh is a very worthy recipient of the Bell Lectureship, and his remarks will surely emphasize the need for improved floodplain management,” said Dr. Campbell, the Kenneth and Irene S. Hall Professor for Construction Engineering and Management at WKU.

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 Warren Campbell at (270) 745-8988.

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