FUNDING INSTITUTION
The National Science Foundation (NSF) was established by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950. Its stated mission is "To promote the progress of science, to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare, and to secure the national defense." Funding for Kansas Groundwater Geopaths is specifically provided by the NSF GEOPAths Program.
INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS
KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Founded in 1863, KSU is a comprehensive, research, land-grant institution serving 21,000 students via its main campus in Manhattan, branch campuses in Olathe and Salina, and its online programming (Global Campus). In addition, KSU Research and Extension maintains a statewide network of research centers and experimental fields throughout the state.
BARTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Located in Great Bend, Kansas, BCC was founded in 1965 and currently serves about 6,500 students from Barton, Ellsworth, Pawnee, Rush, Russel, Stafford and Rice counties. The Math and Sciences program at BCC offers a wide range of curricula that help prepare students to transfer to a four-year institution.
DODGE CITY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Founded in 1935 and located in Dodge City Kansas, DCCC serves about 1,500 students. The math and science department at DCCC offers courses in biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, and meteorology to help prepare STEM majors for transfer to a four-year institution. DCCC also offers undergraduate research opportunities for STEM majors.
TEAM
Matthew Kirk
PhD Earth and Planetary Sciences
Dr. Kirk is an Associate Professor of Geology at Kansas State University. He teaches an introductory geology course called Earth in Action as well as upper-level courses in Geochemistry, Geomicrobiology, Geochemical Modeling, and Water Resources Geochemistry. His research group does hydrogeology and geomicrobiology research related to water quality and the fate of greenhouse gases. Recent projects are focused water quality in the Great Bend Prairie aquifer, groundwater-surface water interactions at Konza Prairie, the fate of carbon dioxide in the subsurface at Konza Prairie, and geochemical controls on interactions between anaerobic microorganisms.
Helene Avocat
PhD Geography
Dr. Avocat is a visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and Geospatial Sciences at K-State since 2016.
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Before joining K-State, Dr Avocat worked as a GIS specialist in the IT Department at the University of Michigan.
Dr. Avocat has a significant teaching and mentoring experience. At K-State, her teaching experience focuses on Cartography and GIS (Geographic Information Systems), both at undergraduate and graduate levels. She also mentors students from various majors on the geospatial aspects of their research.
Amanda Alliband
PhD Chemistry
Dr. Alliband is a chemistry instructor at Barton Community College. She received her BS and PhD in chemistry at Wichita State University. Thus, she has a deep connection to south-central Kansas, as not only a student but also an instructor.
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At BCC, Dr. Alliband teaches introductory and general chemistry courses to undergraduate students and occasionally high school students in both face-to-face and online formats. While completing her PhD, Dr. Alliband worked as a graduate teaching assistant for undergraduate labs. She also tutored high school and undergraduate students in general chemistry courses. Before coming to BCC, she taught one semester of general chemistry at Wichita State University and one year at Southwestern University.
Richard Sloan
MS Civil Engineering/Water Resource Science
Mr. Sloan is an adjunct instructor at Barton Community College. At BCC, Mr. Sloan teaches World & Regional Geography, Physical Geography, Meteorology, and also has taught Physical Science. Mr. Sloan has a long record of experience in hydrology and groundwater quality monitoring in different institutions (Kansas Department of Agriculture/Division of Water Resources, Big Bend Groundwater Management District, which manages the Great Bend Prairie aquifer, engineering firm of Evans, Bierly, and Hutchison (EBH) in Great Bend, KS, Poseidon Research & Testing, Inc.).
Mr. Sloan also worked as a hydrologist with the National Weather Service (NWS) for 24 years. In 2014, Mr. Sloan won the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) 3rd highest award (Bronze award) for developing a method to highlight areas on NWS web pages along rivers which were forecasted to flood. This technique is currently employed nationally on all NWS web pages.