April 25, 2008
Bowling
Green, Ky. - Students and faculty from Western Kentucky University’s Department of Geography and Geology are attending the North-Central Section of the Geological Society of America (GSA) meeting this weekend in Evansville, Ind.
The 42nd annual meeting of the North-Central Section of the GSA will feature research by geologists from around the region, which is considered the academic birthplace of North American geology.
Presentations by WKU faculty and students include:
Geoscience graduate student Nathan Rinehart of Alvaton with co-author Dr. Ken Kuehn presents his thesis research titled “Application of GIS in Watershed Condition Assessment: Little River Canyon National Preserve, Alabama.”
Geoscience graduate Joseph Islas, who works in the oil and gas industry for American Southern Energy in Bowling Green, with co-author Dr. Ken Kuehn, presents “GIS Modeling Applications in Petroleum Exploration.”
Undergraduate geology majors Heather Monohan of Bowling Green and Chelsea Brunner of Crestwood with geoscience graduate student Samantha Kramer of Bowling Green and co-author Dr. Andrew Wulff present “Drip Water Chemistry from Diamond Caverns, Kentucky: Preliminary Results.”
Dr. Michael May, with co-authors Dr. Stephen Kenworthy and geoscience graduate student Brian Ham of Bowling Green, presents “Use of the Upper Green River Biological Preserve as an Outdoor Teaching and Research Center near Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky.”
Dr. Michael May and co-author Dr. Ken Kuehn present “The Bowling Green Oolite: An Important Building Stone of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.”
Undergraduate Chelsea Brunner (Crestwood) with co-author Michael Weisberg (American Museum of Natural History) presented: "X-Ray Image Analysis: Multi-scale Modal Abundance as Applied to the Allende Meteorite." Chelsea's research resulted from a summer REU experience at the AMNH this past summer (see http://www.wku.edu/news/releases07/june/geology.html).
“Such a rich variety of themes, from cultural geology and watershed management to GIS applications in geology, addressed by these presentations is indicative of the depth and breadth of teaching and research in the geology program at WKU,” said Geography and Geology Department Head Dr. David Keeling. “The opportunity to conduct research with faculty and fellow students in advanced geology classes or through supervised independent projects makes WKU students highly competitive when external opportunities become available, including graduate programs. Our geology students always receive high praise at these conferences for the sophistication and thoroughness of their research.”
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 Ken Kuehn at (270) 745-3082.
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