KARST EDUCATION AND SCIENCE AT WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY (Invited Presentation)

The Center for Cave and Karst Studies at WKU was founded in 1978. Nearby Mammoth Cave National Park also wanted to start an educational program and the first courses began in 1980. By inviting top karst scientists and the attraction of Mammoth Cave, resulted in students from many states and even foreign countries to take these very intense one week field courses. In addition to one week at Mammoth Cave, each student was required to perform an additional two weeks of original research and submit a term paper to their professor for evaluation to receive a grade in the course. The program has not only been a great asset for WKU students but also for students from other universities since they could transfer the credits. The following is a partial list of professors who have taught one or more courses: Art Palmer, PhD. and (Peg) Karst Geology; Will White, PhD. and (Bet) Karst Hydrology; Jim Quinlan, PhD. Karst Hydrology; Paul Williams, PhD. Karst Geomorphology; Derek Ford, PhD. Karst Geomorphology; Tim Atkinson, PhD. Karst Hydrology; Peter Smart, PhD. Karst Geomorphology; George Veni, PhD. Karst Hydrology of the Edwards Aquifer; Chris Groves, Karst Geomorphology; John Mylroie PhD. Advance Cave Exploring; Pat Kambesis, PhD. Cave Surveying and Cartography; and Daryl Grainger, PhD. Karst Geomorphology.

Students emphasizing karst at WKU are exposed to a great deal of karst research by working on field and laboratory research projects. Much of the research involves cave exploration and surveying, dye tracing groundwater flow, delimiting karst groundwater basins, locating springs, placing dye receptors, injecting fluorescent dyes, measuring water chemistry parameters, measuring groundwater contamination, and using microgravity and electrical resistivity to locate caves and potential sinkhole collapses. Much of the research has been perform in Kentucky and Tennessee but also includes other states and other countries, particularly China. The karst program at WKU is now directed by Chris Groves, PhD. and has grown to include Jason Polk, PhD., Leslie North, PhD., Pat Kambesis, PhD. and Lee Ann Bledsoe.