Karin Kirk

kkirk at carleton.edu

Presently, I help organize, manage content, and oversee logistics for some of the On the Cutting Edge workshops. In 2007, I authored a Starting Point module about the Lifestyle Project. I have also been developing the content in the Affective Domain module, which is a topic that I particularly enjoy.

I began working on the Cutting Edge program in 2002 with David Mogk at Montana State University. The epic Teaching Petrology workshop and field trip in the summer of 2003 was an unforgettable introduction to the Cutting Edge program! I've helped out on a dozen workshops since then and each has been a stimulating experience. In the summer of 2007, my employment switched from Montana State University to Carleton College and the SERC office. However, I am still enjoying similar job duties as before.

Because I am also passionate about teaching, I have a variety of small teaching jobs to balance out my work at SERC. I teach distance learning geology classes for SUNY Empire State College. In the winter, I spend all my free time teaching skiing at Bridger Bowl ski area. And in the summer I do some coaching with our local bike racing team.

My background in the earth sciences is in environmental geology and hydrology. My master's research involved investigating the Madison Aquifer for a potential public water supply for the city of Bozeman, MT. Prior to that I taught geology and environmental science at Skidmore College.

Workshop Support

I've worked on the following workshops in the On the Cutting Edge series

• Affective Domain
• Data, Simulations and Models
• Introductory Courses
• Biocomplexity
• Climate Change
• Early Earth
• Geology and Human Health
• Hurricanes and Climate Change
• Hydrogeology
• Petrology
• Public Policy
• Sedimentary Geology

Education

Montana State University - Geology, M.S., 2002
Skidmore College - Geology, B.A. with honors, 1990

Publications

Kirk, K.B., Mogk, D.W., Tewksbury, B.J., 2004, A Compendium of web-based resources for teaching structural geology: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program, v. 36, n. 5.

Kirk, K.B. and Thomas, J.J., 2003, The Lifestyle Project: The Journal of Geologic Education, v. 51, n. 5, p. 496-499.

Kirk, K.B. and Custer, S.G., 2001, Potential of the Madison Aquifer for a city water supply in Bozeman, Montana: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program.

Kirk, K.B., Halstead, J.A., and Thomas, J.J., 1997, Field Studies in Environmental Science: An interdisciplinary college course on a local watershed, inWarwick, J.J. ed, Proceedings of the AWRA Annual Symposium, Water resources education, training and practice: Opportunities for the next century: American Water Resources Association, Herndon, VA, TPS-97-1, p. 501-508