We had a great visit with representatives from New Mexico Tech and the National Park Service this week to discuss the future National Cave and Karst Research Institute (NCKRI). NCKRI is in the process of searching for a new director, to replace long-time director Dr. George Veni, who retired earlier this year. NCKRI is also in the process of developing its advisory board .The City is proud to be a partner with NM Tech and the National Park Service in this program.
U.S. Congress created NCKRI in 1998 in partnership with the State of New Mexico and the City of Carlsbad. During this period, we worked very closely with our U.S. Senators and Representatives to make sure Carlsbad played an essential role. NCKRI is now administered through New Mexico Tech, with missions to further the science of speleology and promoting public education. NCKRI’s headquarters is located at the Cascades in Carlsbad. Valerie Davis currently serves as the organization’s interim director and is also the Operations Division Director. Karla Niemeier has been appointed as the City’s representative to NCKRI.
We’ve met with Carlos Romero, out of NM Tech, on several occasions over the past few weeks and have enjoyed our discussions about NCKRI. We also had representatives from the National Park System present. Our visitors have also been very impressed with Carlsbad. It’s easy to see why the program has a headquarters in Carlsbad. In addition to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, the area is covered with caves and other karst features. It’s a popular destination for scientists and researchers who are wanting to study these formations. From the City’s end, of course, we want to see NCKRI’s efforts including extensive education and outreach to our schools, as well as development of a museum at the facility. We also want to continue to develop our area as a location that attracts leading scientists from around the world.
The City of Carlsbad is very proud of our community’s strong science background. Our mixture of industries here draw researchers from an incredible variety of fields. We also enjoy having a variety of interesting opportunities for students who grow up here.
For more information about the National Cave and Karst Research Institute, please visit https://nckri.org/