WKU Environmental Geographer Named Fulbright Scholar

April 22, 2009

Bowling Green, Ky. - Dr. John All, associate professor of geography at Western Kentucky University, has been named a Fulbright Scholar to Nepal for the Fall 2009 semester.

Dr. All will be teaching environmental remote sensing at Tribhuvan University in Kirtipur, Kathmandu, and helping to create a new remote sensing laboratory. He has been working with ESRI, Clark University and LEICA to donate software licenses for this new laboratory and is helping to seek funding for infrastructure.

“Remote sensing is a wonderful discipline because students in Kentucky can literally examine any corner of the earth and document environmental changes using real data,” Dr. All said. “By helping to create a remote sensing lab, we are helping the citizens of one of the poorest nations on earth better manage their resources while providing common ground for long-term WKU collaborations.”

Dr. All will be working with local researchers and graduate students examining climate change impacts on vegetation in the Himalayas and how differing resource management strategies maximize long-term ecological and social sustainability. This project will tie into Dr. All’s prior research in Bhutan for a trans-Himalayan examination of vegetation changes and resource management.

“This opportunity resulted from earlier funding from the WKU Office of Sponsored Programs that allowed me the chance to visit Bhutan and write several grants for study in the Himalayas,” he said. “Students have been working on this project already as my remote sensing class has been examining national parks in Nepal and how the vegetation has changed through time. Four graduate students have prepared a study that will be submitted for publication.” 

Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world and Dr. All hopes his work will help minimize the social impacts of climatic variability and change in the region.

“Citizens in Nepal face the same problems as residents of Kentucky – clean air and water, jobs, education, and addressing climate variability i.e. floods and droughts,” he said. “This project will give unique perspectives to WKU students while helping providing real benefits to Nepal and its people.”

In a related event, Dr. All has been named to the American Alpine Club’s executive committee on conservation in charge of mountain best management practices for sustainability. While this will entail mainly U.S.-based activity working with federal agencies, Dr. All also will be working on projects addressing deforestation in the Mt. Everest region and on creating a long-term sustainable infrastructure for trekking and climbing in the area as part of that new responsibility.

“Dr All’s expertise in the area of environmental change, coupled with his legal training (he holds a J.D. in Environmental Law), will be of great value to Tribhuvan University during this Fulbright experience,” said Dr. David Keeling, Geography and Geology department head. “Not only does this extend WKU’s international reach, but the experiences gained during the Fulbright will be incorporated into the department’s programs on environmental change and sustainable development, benefiting our students and leading to a more productive engagement with critical social issues.”
               
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For information, contact John All at (270) 745-5975.