Martin County Project
The Martin County project is a faculty, student and community-based research effort that developed after the 2000 coal waste disaster in Martin County, KY. Since that time, students and faculty, in consultation with citizens and citizen advisory committees, have been involved in survey and interview based needs assessments, physical impact assessments and community-based recovery projects. Over 75 undergraduate students have been involved in research activities in the field in Martin County as well as in other coal producing communities of Appalachia over the past seven years. These students have had the very unique opportunity to develop their research skills, as undergraduate students, in preparation for graduate school and other careers.
Aside from students, the following faculty members have been involved in the MC project in various inter-disciplinary capacities, over the years:
- Dr. Alan Banks, Sociology, EKU
- Dr. Dwight Billings, Sociology, University of Kentucky
- Dr. Melissa Dieckmann, Earth Science, EKU
- Dr. Duane Gill, Sociology, Mississippi State University
- Dr. Sharon Hardesty, Sociology, EKU
- Dr. Stephanie McSpirit, Sociology, EKU
- Dr. Danita LaSage, Earth Science, EKU
- Dr. Barbara Ramey, Biology, EKU
- Dr. Shaunna Scott, Sociology, University of Kentucky
- Dr. Ben Stout, Biology, Wheeling Jesuit University
- Dr. Andrew Wigginton, Biology, University of Kentucky
- Dr. Robert Welch, Social Work, EKU
For more information on current projects and how you might become involved, contact the project director Dr. Stephanie McSpirit:
223 Keith Building (Office 103 Keith)
Eastern Kentucky University
Richmond, KY 40475
Telephone: 859.622.3070