Jen O'Keefe

Mom. Palynologist. Organic Petrographer. Fascinated by Fungi & Wetlands. Professor of Geology & Sci Ed.

[KY Geological Survey @KGSNews]

If you're a fan of rocks, science, natural history, or just delightfully weird oddities, the 'Museum of Natural History and Artificial Curiosities' exhibition is at the UK Art Museum through December 19.

#KGS loaned several items to the exhibition, and this month’s episode of The Big Blue Rock Pod features curator Rachel Hooper and KGS’s Cheyenne Hohman chatting about the exhibit and the fascinating objects on display.

AND, because we can’t exactly loan rocks and fossils to an exhibit without going to see them ourselves (they get lonely when they're away from us), some KGS staffers checked out the exhibition on Friday.

Podcast episode: https://t.co/CCRMosieTZ
Exhibition (free!): https://t.co/CCsrqrorYK

#Kentucky #Geology #Geoscience #FieldTrip

[UK Research @ResearchKY]

A new tool from @KGSNews and the @KY_NSF_EPSCoR CLIMBS project is helping forecast landslides.

The Slope Hydrologic Monitoring Network uses 24 monitoring stations across Eastern Kentucky to track slope conditions and improve early warning capabilities.
https://t.co/lVEB2TgQAt

[Kentucky NSF EPSCoR @KY_NSF_EPSCoR]

The CLIMBS-funded Slope Hydrologic Monitoring Network is the first of its kind in the eastern U.S., using 24 monitoring stations, real-time data, and machine learning to better understand landslide risk and strengthen community resilience.

Read more: 🔗 https://t.co/u4a1fgbax3

[Kentucky NSF EPSCoR @KY_NSF_EPSCoR]

Seed funding is where big ideas take root, and real impact begins. 🌱

Now accepting proposals until March 13th!

Submit a proposal and help turn your ideas into impact.

👉 https://t.co/9AjM9bL0Hs

[UK Center for Applied Energy Research @UKCAER]

🎉 Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Bhamiti Sharma, PhD, as an Associate Research Scientist at CAER! Her work advances coal- & coke-derived graphite materials for battery applications.

We’re glad to have you!

[Morehead State @moreheadstate]

❄️ MSU PLAN B: Tuesday, 1-27-2026 & Wednesday, 1-28-2026 🧊

MSU main campus and all regional campuses will be on Weather Plan B Tuesday and Wednesday, with all classroom instruction in virtual mode, and staff operating virtually. All in-person classes will not meet.

[KY Geological Survey @KGSNews]

Who needs field work when winter delivers it right to your driveway? #KGS #Kentucky #geology #geoscience #FieldWork

[Jen O'Keefe @PalyJen]

@nwsjacksonky looks like we’ve picked up about an inch so far from today’s snow here in Hilda, KY. (Left - storm end last night; right 10:55 am 1/26/26).

[Francis M. Martin @fmartin1954]

Prototaxites fossils are structurally and chemically distinct from extinct and extant Fungi | Science Advances https://t.co/jfreElluIK

[Jen O'Keefe @PalyJen]

@nwsjacksonky We were down to 3” on the ruler this afternoon at peak freezing rain. Now up to ~3.5” after a quick-hitting band of snow. Ruler/board now crooked, too. Still snowing - very small flakes at 7:40 pm. Nothing on radar.

[Jen O'Keefe @PalyJen]

@nwsjacksonky Switched to mostly sleet/wintery mix about 2:30 pm. Best estimate is 0.25” ice coating everything.

[Morehead State @moreheadstate]

WEATHER UPDATE

Due to inclement weather and to ensure the safety of our students and employees, MSU’s main campus and all regional campuses will be on the following weather plans:

PLAN A
Monday, 1-26-2026

PLAN B
Tuesday, 1-27-2026

Stay safe, Eagles!
💙💛

[Jen O'Keefe @PalyJen]

@musiclover2693 @nwsjacksonky Wow! Sharp cut-off. 7 miles NW we have a lot more snow.

[Jen O'Keefe @PalyJen]

Pretty pink over Hilda, KY #aurora

[Kentucky NSF EPSCoR @KY_NSF_EPSCoR]

Watch as CLIMBS students describe the favorite part of their research at SuperCollider 2025! Maps were a common theme 😄 #nsffunded

[Jen O'Keefe @PalyJen]

It’s not every day I find a familiar face on BBC News @AASPTPS ! Delighted to see palynologist John Marshall recognized for his decades of arctic research!

https://t.co/idfL4XlGRa

[MycoKeys @MycoKeys]

The @IMA_Mycology is raising funds to support #fungal scientists from low-income countries to attend the quadrennial IMC 2027 in South Korea.

🥼Support the #scientists here: https://t.co/4OIq4sCP63

📣Repost and reshare to spread the word!

📖https://t.co/s9VBns4PWn

[CeasefireNow_PollenPaleoCOViDisAirborneMasksHelp @kanupama2012]

The structural blind spot: Resource inequity in palynological digitization and the role of curatorial labour. Journal of Palaeosciences, 2025. ⟨hal-05438163⟩ #DiamondOpenAccess download PDF here: https://t.co/yrMd69GPm8 @limi_mao @PalyJen @FossilPollen @yoshi_maezumi 6/6