Western Kentucky University TopSCHOLAR® WKU Archives Records WKU Archives 9-1996 UA11/1 On Campus, Vol. 6, No. 7 WKU University Relations Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/dlsc_ua_records Part of the Higher Education Administration Commons, Journalism Studies Commons, Mass Communication Commons, Organizational Communication Commons, Public Relations and Advertising Commons, and the Social Influence and Political Communication Commons Recommended Citation WKU University Relations, "UA11/1 On Campus, Vol. 6, No. 7" (1996). WKU Archives Records. Paper 4413. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/dlsc_ua_records/4413 This Newsletter is brought to you for free and open access by TopSCHOLAR®. It has been accepted for inclusion in WKU Archives Records by an authorized administrator of TopSCHOLAR®. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Vol. 6 No.7. Publication For Faculty, Staff and Friends of WKU • September 1996 .... ·w· WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY • Karst, teaching, public service--a winning 'package-deal' By Chris AbreU Dr. Nicholas Crawford, the 1996 winner of Western Kentucky University's Faculty Excellence Award for Public Service, says he came to Western because of his professional interest in the area's geology and its problems. "I was a professor at Vanderbilt University in 1976," Crawford said. "I came here that spring to what was the first meeting held anywhere in the world on hydro­ logic problems of karst regions. "As luck would have it, I was on the faculty of this department by the fall," Crawford said. "We've tried to emphasize karst problems ever since." Crawford, a geography profes­ sor, specializes in karst studies, a field that deals with areas with fast moving underground water flows. The work often takes him into the subterranean landscapes of this region. One of his favorite community projects is Lost River Cave. Dr. Nicholas Crawford, 1996 winner, University Award for Excellence in Public Seroice -Plwto by lenn Wilfinger 'I guess I've enjoyed working with Lost River he says he has always paid special Department's emergency response "It may contaminate someone's Cave as much as any public attention to. team that will help to direct action service project: water well, or the vapors may "Public service is something in the event of a hazardous mate­ come back up through the lime­ -Dr. Nicholas Crawford that 1 have been involved in a lot rial spill. stone into people's houses miles in my last 20 years at Western," "In the event of an accident, a away," Crawford said. "In other Crawford said. "It is very impor­ "I guess I've enjoyed working spill is going to go straight into a parts of the world it doesn't work with Lost River Cave as much as tant to our department and really, hole in the ground like everything that way." any public service project," I like it." does in Bowling Green," Crawford In all of the work Crawford has Crawford said. "It was an area in The enjoyment Crawford de­ said. "We need to know where it done, he said that one local project Bowling Green that had fallen rives from Western and his work is going to go and what route it is has been his most rewarding. apart and was very important in shows. He doesn't loose touch going to take. So, we are starting Crawford doesn't mind that terms of the history of this com­ with the university when he dye traces along the interstate, many college students never think munity. heads into the field. Instead, he bypass, and railroad tracks so we about what he does for the com­ "I helped when the area was uses the experience to benefit know where to evacuate." munity. It is just part of the job. donated to Western and then WKU by sharing it with his Groundwater contamination is a "Students just don't realize," informed the Friends of Lost River students. serious threat in areas like Bowling Crawford said. "They think that in 1990 to help clean it up and "I've tried to put together Green, and the community relies college professors are just sup­ make it accessible to the public research, public service and on Crawford's knowledge and that posed to be teachers because that once again," Crawford said. "That teaching all into one package," of others like him to handle these is the end of it they receive most Crawford said. "I get my stu­ project has been very important to difficulties. often. We are expected to spread me and 1 continue to work with dents involved in the research we "Karst areas like we have around our expertise around the commu­ it." dq, and often it is an applied here are the most vulnerable in the nity and help others." Crawford doesn't spend all of public service activity, dealing world for groundwater contamina­ his time underground. He fre­ with Some kind of groundwater tion," Crawford said. "If you have There will be a reception for WKU quently works to solve groundwa­ problem." a spill, it just goes down into the employees who have received ter contamination problems in Currently Crawford is involved ground and can travel along degrees over the past year Warren County and throughout in a project with two WKU stu­ underground streams for several Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 3:30 p.m. the state. That work is something dents for the Warren County Fire miles in less than 24 hours. at the DUe Mezzanine. • On Campus Western Kentucky University September 1996 On teaching: would you do it again? Continued from cover page than the entire faculty,' he said. cultural backgrounds are enrich­ Today at many public compre~ Another reason is that ' Most ing our classrooms, and technol­ -hensive universities only 66 organizations develop habits to ogy is giving us the capacity to percent of the faculty say they'd remedy problems, not prevent teach and to learn in ways that become professors once again: them,' he explained, citing the were unimaginable even a decade Walker said, adding: medical profession as an example ago. "It's not the paradise we used to of one which has moved empha­ 'Sut in all this change, I hope the think it was. sis from remedy to prevention. simple needs of faculty are not ' Older faculty are retiring earlier 'We need to keep our faculty overlooked. I hope the well-being and in greater numbers than strong and vital, and a lot of their of faculty will be brought into expected; new faculty are show­ problems will go away,' he said. harmony with the well-being of the ing signs of stress not seen in Some suggestions on how students they serve and the well­ previous studies; burn Qut, a faculty well-being can be main­ being of the colleges in which they phenomenon rarely seen with Dr. Charles Walker tained, Walker said, can be work. through offering merit pay, bud­ "More importantly, I hope I've professors, is being seen more major reason for these 'troubles in geting for teaching excellence, presented the problems and and more; restructuring and paradise" is that the .well-being of such as grant programs, and challenges of faculty well-being in downsizing have changed defini­ faculty has been benignly over­ complex award programs. such a way that all of you--stu­ 'ions of faculty work; the new looked. "Pay excellent teachers as well dents, staff, and administrators ::!mphasis on the student and 'Why they are being over­ as excellent researchers,' he said. particularly, can begin to do learning, while a good change, looked,' he said, in addition to the "Faculty have a very high things that will renew and revital­ has also redefined faculty work, assumption that faculty are rug­ generativity level. They really do ize those who teach your students yet expectations to do excellent ged and independent, "is be­ want to pass on to others, to be at Western Kentucky University.' work in .teaching, research and Cause faculty are difficult to take role models. Letters back from Walker also presented a work­ service has remained the same at care of. students are good, but faculty shop on campus Aug. 16 for many colleges and universities,' "There's a reason why the most want to know they are daily faculty through Western's Center Walker said. dilapidated building on campus giving. for Teaching and Learning, a Western's guest speaker said a . gets more money for maintenance 'The changes that are occuring facility devoted to faculty profes­ in higher education today are sional development. indeed exciting," Walker said, The subject of his workshop was Kentucky Museum News adQi ~g: Ways of Using Assessment and Quilts from many states across the nation, including Kentucky, "Facu!ty and students from a Research as a Tool in Teaching. Illinois, Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee will be greater variety of social and in an exhibit titled "Gatherings: America's " opening at The Kentucky Museum, .3 and through Nov. 3, 1996 . was originally developed by the Museum of the American Quilter's Society (Paducah) with Mrs. Sarah Thompson, wife of Western's "''------"'''' funding from the Lila Wallace-Reade(s Digest Fund and featured 77 quilts. The Kentucky Museum's exhibi­ third president, Dr. Kelly Thompson,dies tion of about 30 quilts, which traveled to several sites around the country, is sponsored by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, with Mrs. Sarah Elizabeth Pearce additional support from Delta De;ntal of Kentucky. Thompson, wife of WKU's third President, the late Dr. Kelly Th­ Museum Calendar ompson, died Aug. 16 at her home in Bowling Green. She was 87. On Campus Mrs.