Jim Karsten is originally from Kalamazoo, MI and attended Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI, where he received a Bachelor’s of Science in Geology.  While attending Calvin, Jim participated in various undergraduate research projects focused on Lake Michigan coastal dunes. The topics varied from the effect of vegetation on topography to dune activity and the anthropogenic influences on dune activity. 

Currently, Jim is pursuing a Master’s of Science in Geology.  His project is an outcrop based project looking at Silurian (Cayugan) age forereef slopes exposed in the Pipe Creek Jr. quarry, which is an active limestone quarry in north-central Indiana. His research involves drone-based, georeferenced, 3D modeling of the quarry faces, analysis of core, slabbed samples, and thin sections, and determining the paleowind direction through analysis of facies composition and distribution and faunal distribution within the slopes.  The end goal of this project is to characterize these slopes as reservoirs or conduits for hydrocarbons. Jim recently received funding for this research from the David L. Worthington named grant, which is part of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists Grants-in-Aid program.

In his spare time, Jim enjoys brewing beer, hiking, camping, and cheering for the Eagles of Hennessey High School, where his wife Megan is a Spanish teacher and Head Coach of the softball team.