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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