Assistant Professor of Geography
Dr. North recently earned her doctorate in Geography and Environmental Science and
Policy from the University of South Florida in Tampa. Since she was first exposed
to karst science as an undergraduate student, Leslie has focused her collegiate and
research activities to understanding and protecting these fragile terrains. During
her master’s thesis research, which focused on evaluating anthropogenic karst disturbances,
Leslie reached the startling conclusion that both the general public and policymakers
have a very limited understanding of karst terrains, resulting in widespread misuse
of these landscapes. As a result, for her dissertation Dr North conducted the first
holistic study of karst-related educational programs implemented in the United States
and abroad, and the tools, techniques, and feasibility of educating the general public
at karst attractions, particularly show-cave facilities. Through a large body of data
collected from over 100 show caves worldwide, she was able to illustrate the existence
of multiple missed opportunities and misconceptions about educational pursuits in
informal learning environments that are ultimately hindering the pursuit of appropriate
geologic education and encouraging erroneous measures of program success. Dr. North
is an associate of the Hoffman Institute. For more information about her teaching and research interests contact Dr. North
at leslie.north@wku.edu.
