University of Kentucky

THE UNIVERSITY OF Kentucky, also referred to as UK, is a public, coeducational university located in Lexington. Founded in 1865, the university is the largest in the commonwealth by enrollment, with 27,209 students. The university as a whole has been ranked the 19th-best public research university based on the scholarly activity of faculty. The university features 16 colleges, a graduate school, 93 undergraduate programs, 99 master's degrees, 66 programs in Ph.D.s and other doctoral degrees, and four professional programs.

The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at UK offers B.S., B.A., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in geology, a minor in geology, and administers a topical major (B.S.) in environmental sciences. The department currently includes 10 regular faculty members, one lecturer, and 14 other faculty members who hold adjunct appointments. Approximately 40 graduate students and 35 undergraduates are enrolled annually. The study of environmental issues such as groundwater quality, waste disposal associated with the extraction of Earth resources, and climate change require understanding and application of several disciplines, including the fields of geology, chemistry, biology, agronomy, hydrology, and engineering. An environmental scientist must have a diverse background in all the natural sciences to develop creative solutions to environmental problems. The topical major in environmental sciences is intended to provide the breadth of scientific training needed to develop such solutions. At the same time, it provides flexibility for the student and adviser to build a curriculum tailored to the student s specific interests.

Courses with environmental applications offered at UK include: GEO 251: Weather and Climate, GLY 585: Hydrogeology, NRC 301: Resource Management and Conservation, NRC 359: Global Positioning Systems, NRC450G: Biogeochemistry, NRC 555 GIS: and Landscape Analysis, and PLS 366: Fundamentals of Soil Science.

Research within the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences is funded by grants and contracts from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the PRF, and other federal, state, and industrial sources. Areas of graduate research include tectonics, hydrogeology, sedimentary geology, geochemistry, petrology, geophysics, and coal geology.