Kenneth “KC” Carroll
Ohio University B.S. Geology ’96, Ohio University M.S. Geology ’99, University of Arizona Ph.D. Hydrology and Water Resources ‘07
I grew up in Poland, Ohio, near Youngstown. I earned a B.S. in Geological Sciences from Ohio University in 1996, an M.S. in Geological Sciences (specializing in Environmental Geochemistry) from Ohio University with Dr. Dina Lopez as my advisor, and a Ph.D. in Hydrology and Water Resources (with a minor in Soil, Water, and Environmental Science) from the University of Arizona. Beginning in 2013, I have been an Assistant, Associate, and full Professor in the Plant and Environmental Sciences Department of New Mexico State University (NMSU). I was also hired to support the Water Science and Management graduate program. Before starting at NMSU, I was a research scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, a postdoctoral researcher, and a consultant working on open-pit lake geochemistry/closure and dewatering/slope stability for some of the largest metal mines in Australia, Argentina, Chile, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, and the United States.
Ohio University Geology training provided the scientific foundation for my career. After working with Dr. Lopez, I have continued multidisciplinary teaching and research that includes hydrogeology, environmental geochemistry, environmental engineering, soil science, contaminant transport, and geophysics, resulting in both teaching and research award recognitions. I am an Associate Editor for the Vadose Zone Journal, Journal of Hydrology, Journal of Hydrology X, and Journal of Contaminant Hydrology. I served as the NMSU Chapter of Sigma Xi elected Secretary from 2017-2021, President from 2021-2023, and am currently the Vice President. I am the Chair of the Soils and Environmental Quality Division of SSSA and a lifetime member of AGU and GSA. With several collaborators and students, I have published ~80 journal papers, a textbook, ~30 proceedings papers and reports, and ~200 presentations/abstracts.
I say my career is “in education” because I enjoy working with students to enhance their understanding of the natural world. I began to study geology as a desire to understand the processes that influence our world and enjoy having a role in the education of the next generation. I am very happy to serve the Ohio University Department of Earth and Environmental Geosciences, which has been so instrumental in my career and life.
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