2 0 2 4 S T E E R I N G C O M M I T T E E
President
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Treasurer
Sarah Arpin, KGS, UK
Sarah Arpin works with the Kentucky Geological Survey as a karst hydrologist and manager of the Kentucky Groundwater Data Repository. She is also busy with her PhD program at the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Kentucky. Sarah led the effort to revive the Southeast Bluegrass Chapter of AWG when the organization was faced with dissolution in October of 2019. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the chapter held some great meetings and events throughout 2020 and saw steady interest and attendance. After a successful year, the chapter’s probationary status was recently lifted. She would like to continue the momentum and keep building the organization. The Southeast Bluegrass Chapter has been a great resource of knowledge and support for the community
so far!
Sarah Arpin, KGS, UK
Sarah Arpin works with the Kentucky Geological Survey as a karst hydrologist and manager of the Kentucky Groundwater Data Repository. She is also busy with her PhD program at the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Kentucky. Sarah led the effort to revive the Southeast Bluegrass Chapter of AWG when the organization was faced with dissolution in October of 2019. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the chapter held some great meetings and events throughout 2020 and saw steady interest and attendance. After a successful year, the chapter’s probationary status was recently lifted. She would like to continue the momentum and keep building the organization. The Southeast Bluegrass Chapter has been a great resource of knowledge and support for the community
so far!
Communications Officer
Andrea Erhardt, UK Andrea is an Associate Professor and isotope geochemist at the University of Kentucky with scientific questions focusing on paleoceanography and using isotopes as environmental tracers. She is concurrently a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study at the Technical University of Munich to look at issues of gender and diversity in the sciences. She is always learning new things about how to best advocate for researchers from a wide range of backgrounds and is excited to help with those efforts throughout the state. In her free time, she spends time with her two children and is the department’s resident expert on UK Basketball. |
External Liaison
Mackenzie Choffel, UK Mackenzie is a senior in geology at UK with a special interest in mapping and cartography. She has also been the acting social media manager for the undergraduate geology club for the past two years. She is excited for the opportunity to represent the southeastern bluegrass chapter and is looking forward to the year ahead. |
Field Trip Coordinator
Njahi Mwangala, UK Njahi is a second-year master’s student at the University of Kentucky in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. Her research is focused on a lake located within the East African Rift System, Lake Tanganyika where she is using lake sediments (physical and chemical properties) to trace the lake’s oxycline over time. She received a bachelor's degree in mineral sciences from the University of Zambia and briefly worked as a production geologist for Kagem Emerald Mine in Zambia, before moving to Kentucky for graduate school. |