Broader than the sum of its parts….

Geologists are not just men and women in dusty hats and rock hammers climbing mountains and collecting rocks. Nor is Geology simply principles from other sciences applied to rocks – it has equally important fundamentals and concepts that cannot be used effectively without serious effort and training. It contributes to society in ways significantly different than other science fields do. Its focus on climate, hazard, and water, energy, and mineral resources is critical to the future of humankind and our planet. 

Geologists study the earth and its processes, history and composition. Geology is inherently interdisciplinary and can enrich us by being able to integrate and make sense of vast and varied amounts of information. In the Geology/Earth and Environmental Sciences department at University of Kentucky, we focus on four sub-disciplines of geosciences – Hydrogeology, Geochemistry, Geophysics, and Tectonics – and we have breadth and expertise from environmental to energy resources, regional and global tectonics, and planetary research. With 50 undergraduate and 35 graduate students engaged in learning and research, we strive to make our students well-rounded scientists and responsible citizens of the world.

We have vigorous collaborations with the Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS), Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER), Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute (KWRRI), the College of Agriculture, and Tracy Farmer Institute for Sustainability and the Environment, and we are striving to develop new collaborative projects with other departments on campus. In addition to our eight regular faculty members and three lecturers, we have 15 adjunct faculty members and many more scientists from the above units contributing regularly to the department. Both undergraduate and graduate students immensely benefit from these interactions as well as from employment, internships, and research assistantships.

Even with the decline in the population growth rate, the world population is expected to be close to 10 billion people by 2050. And even with new alternative energy technologies and improvements to the present ones, there will be immense pressure on societies to protect climate, expand developments closer to areas of direct hazard like earthquake zones, volcanoes, and floods, and there will be increased competition for all resources. Geoscientists’ expertise will be essential in guiding society through these critical decisions, and we welcome you to explore these pages to learn about what we do.

Tiku Ravat
Department Chair