The Dean of Ogden College invites

nominations for two College awards for pre-tenure faculty

Award for Teaching

and

Award for Research/Creative Activity

given by the Ogden College of Science and Engineering

Nominations (name only) should be submitted by email to Cathleen Webb, cathleen.webb@wku.edu in the Office of the Dean, OCH 1023.  Nominations may be made by faculty, staff, administration, alumni, or friends of the University. Nominees must be pre-tenure faculty (as of January 1, 2020) in Ogden College with a demonstrated record of outstanding performance in teaching or research.

Nomination Deadline is Tuesday,

December 10th, 2019

Cost: $400 Studnet | $450 Guest 

Depart time: Saturday, November 23 @ 5:00 PM       

Return time: Sunday, December 1 @ 8:00 PM 

Drive time: 20 h

Pre-trip meeting: Tuesday, November 19 @ 8:00 PM 

Included: River permits, boats, gear, dinner on the river, camping, transportation & hotel accommodations

Located in West Texas, Big Bend will allow you to enjoy dark night skies with beautiful starry views and rivers that carve awe-inspiring canyons in the limestone walls. You can expect sunny and 75 degree days, which will be a welcomed change from the chilly November days of Kentucky. You might just get lucky and spot some mule deer, coyotes, or foxes while in the park(from a safe distance of course).  On this multi-day adventure, you will get to float down the Rio Grande relaxing on a two to four-day river trip through Boquillas Canyon. The rapids in this 33-mile journey only rate up to Class II. Camping a couple of nights by the soothing sounds of the river, and marveling at the 1,200-foot canyon walls, allow time to forget the daily distractions of life. As you travel down the canyon, notice the remains of candelilla wax mining camps on the Mexican side of the river. After our time on the river, a sunrise hike to the Miners Trail is a must. Come enjoy the beautiful sights, and sounds of this marvelously park in Texas.

Tentative Trip Itinerary

Day 1:

1. Depart WKU EARLY
2. Drive for what feels like forever
3. Tent camp just outside of Dallas

Day 2:

1. Wake up early to finish our drive to Big Bend National Park
2. Spend the afternoon exploring the park
3. Gear up for the river
4. Camp at Rio Grande Villiage  

Day 3:

1. Get on the Rio Grande River
2. Paddle
3. Find awesome campsite along the river
4. Enjoy an elaborate river dinner

Day 4:

1. Continue along the Rio Grande River
2. Paddle
3. Find awesome campsite along the river
4. Enjoy an elaborate river dinner

Day 5:

1. Continue along the Rio Grande River
2. Paddle
3. Find awesome campsite along the river
4. Enjoy an elaborate river dinner

Day 6:

1. Continue along the Rio Grande River
2. Paddle to the take out at Heath Canyon
3. Camp at Rio Grande Villiage  

Day 7:

1. Enjoy a morning hiking in the Park
2. Evening departure to a local campground

Day 8:

1. Travel past Dallas texas
2. Spend the night in a comfy hotel bed near Texarkana

Day 9:

1. Finish our drive to WKU 

*All trips are subject to change due to weather, permitting and staffing

Sign up & attend this trip to receive a special discount to College Outside

REGISTER ONLINE TODAY!

Follow the instructions below

1. Go to https://online.spectrumng.net/wku (it will open a new window!) 
2. Click "Do not have login" (you will need to make an account!) 
3. Enter your 800# (or 500# if a Preston Only Member) for the Member Number (even if you do not have a current membership!)
4. Choose a username and password for your online account with us. 
5. Once you have an account set up, click the Home Icon in the top left (the picture, not the actual home letters)
6. Click on Program Registration in the middle of the page!
7. Select ‘ORAC’ 
8. Select the trip or skill clinic you want! 
9. Add to Cart 
10. Continue to Cart 
11. This should take you to the Payment Summary Screen. Enter your payment info and hit Submit Payment. 
12. BAMM You're registered for a trip 

In 2019, the Kentucky Building celebrates 80 years of showcasing South Central Kentucky’s unique culture and heritage. In honor of this milestone, the Kentucky Museum presents Out of the Box, an exhibition focused on fostering multidisciplinary discussions about our collective heritage while shining new light on the relevance of our museum in the 21st century. 

Using local historical artifacts, photos, and records, we invite you to discover how every object tells multiple stories. Themes and stories are curated in partnership with faculty from 9 WKU departments

All residence halls will reopen from Thanksgiving Break on Saturday, November 30 at 10 AM.

The Hilltoppers host MTSU and conclude the 2019 regular season with Senior Day

The Department of Geography and Geology and the Applied Research and Technology Program (ARTP) are happy to announce an upcoming international conference that will be held at WKU in May 2020, with the support of the WKU Office of Research, the Ogden College of Science and Engineering, and ARTP.  Please find detailed information and links to the meeting website below.  Registration fees can be waived for WKU faculty, staff, or students who are interested in participating through presentation, workshop facilitation, and/or volunteering in some capacity.  Please contact Lee Anne Bledsoe, lee.bledsoe@wku.edu, for more details.  

UNESCO Karst 2020, Conservation of Fragile Karst Resources: 

Abstract Submission Deadline, November 30, 2019

PROMOTING SUSTAINABILITY AND COMMUNITY

WHILE PROTECTING FRAGILE KARST ECOSYSTEMS.

The Conservation of Fragile Karst Resources: A Workshop on Sustainability and Community, informally called UNESCO Karst 2020, aims to enhance communication and the sharing of ideas and resources between major international conservation and science programs that protect, study, or manage cave and karst resources. The meeting will bring together a diverse group of managers, scientists, educators, and community partners to share successes and challenges in promoting sustainability and community involvement while protecting fragile karst ecosystems.

The call for abstracts is open! Abstracts may be submitted until November 30, 2019 and authors will be notified of acceptance by January 1. In addition to traditional scientific presentations, we encourage participants to propose workshop sessions. Workshops are 1.5-hour blocks of time that you organize in order to achieve a specific outcome. These may include a panel discussion, collaborating on a strategic plan or research project, a business meeting, or simply a space to share ideas about a common challenge.  Find more information about organizing your workshop here.  The planning committee looks forward to your proposals!

UNESCO Karst 2020 will occur on 18-22 May 2020 in the world-class karst area of south-central Kentucky! The meeting will take place in the newly remodeled Downing Student Union on the campus of Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with mid-week field excursions to nearby Mammoth Cave National Park and Biosphere Reserve. A pre-meeting field excursion at Mammoth Cave National Park is also planned for 15-17 May, 2020, in cooperation with the USGS Karst Interest Group.

For all of the details on the meeting, including information on how to prepare and submit your abstracts, visit http://www.unescokarst2020.com/. .

UNESCO Karst 2020 is managed by the Crawford Hydrology Laboratory at Western Kentucky University, the George Wright Society, and the Mammoth Cave Area Biosphere Reserve as well as an outstanding team of karst experts from around the world who join us to form the Advisory Committee. On behalf of the UNESCO Karst 2020 team, we look forward to receiving your abstracts and seeing you in Kentucky next year!