KU administrator to resume teaching
Geologist examines link between groundwater and global warming

KU administrator to resume teaching

One of KU’s most distinguished and successful women, Kathleen McCluskey-Fawcett, who has served KU at the dean and vice provost levels for 19 years, announced in late January that she will become an honors faculty fellow for KU’s Honors Program.

Next academic year, McCluskey-Fawcett will teach an honors child psychology class, an honors tutorial and a “learning communities” course. She also will advise honors students.

McCluskey-Fawcett arrived at KU in 1985 as a visiting associate professor of psychology and a research associate for the Bureau of Child Research. She became a faculty member the next year and was appointed chair of the psychology department from 1986 to 1989. McCluskey-Fawcett held the positions of associate dean in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences from 1989 to 1993, and associate vice chancellor for academic affairs from 1993 to 1996. In 1996, McCluskey-Fawcett was named associate provost until 2001, when she took a one-year hiatus to serve as interim dean of the College. In 2002, she was promoted to senior vice provost for academic affairs.

With McCluskey-Fawcett’s next endeavor at KU, she hopes to learn from her students. “Administrative work is rewarding, but I have thought long and hard about what would be most challenging for my next venture,” she says. “Young, bright minds propel this university and I can think of nothing more stimulating than to be a mentor and teacher for our top undergraduates.”

Geologist examines link between groundwater and global warming

As global warming looms, a KU professor strives to unlock climate mysteries.

At the Konza Prairie Biological Station near Manhattan, associate professor of geology Gwen (G.L.) Macpherson studies carbon dioxide levels within the watershed. Macpherson’s analyses have revealed that community and industry groundwater dependency adds to gas concentration responsible for climate change.

“Virtually all groundwater contains carbon dioxide,” Macpherson says. “CO2 in groundwater is 10 to 100 times higher than it is in the Earth’s atmosphere. Most of the CO2 in groundwater comes from the soil zone. As water passes through the soil on its way to recharging an aquifer, it picks up CO2.”

This exploitation of groundwater aquifers ties in with supply and demand. Groundwater accounts for approximately one-fifth of total freshwater used for domestic, industrial and agricultural purposes worldwide. That number is rising, as there is roughly 30 times more fresh water underground than on the Earth’s surface.

Macpherson is gauging the extent of CO2 released by all aquifers tapped by humans around the world, which is unique among hydrogeologists. “This is a new area of inquiry,” she said. “I don’t know if anybody who has tried to see how big of an effect it is.”

In this case, Macpherson’s studies prove that a little goes a long way. “We’re talking about one more piece of the carbon dioxide puzzle,” she says. “My initial calculations show that it could be a fairly significant amount of carbon dioxide that goes into the atmosphere. It’s nothing like fossil-fuel-generated C02—maybe up to 1 percent of that. Nevertheless, every little bit that we put in there adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.”

Visit the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Web site for more information.