Professional photo of John E. Mylroie, wearing a blue shirt on a gray background.
Dr. John Mylroie: Professor Emeritus of Geology

John E. Mylroie

Professor Emeritus, Geology

108 Hilbun Hall
Mississippi State, MS 39762

Dr. John Mylroie is Professor Emeritus of Geology at Mississippi State University, having retired in December of 2014. He remains active in the profession, conducting field work in numerous international settings, publishing his results, and teaching field courses for MSU and for other institutions (e.g. University of Bergen, Norway; Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve National Park, Eleuthera, Bahamas). After 8 years at Murray State University, he came to Mississippi State in 1985 to be Department Head, charged by the Dean to revitalize a moribund program. He initiated a field program at the Gerace Research Centre on San Salvador Island, Bahamas, recruited graduate students from across the United States, and increased research expectations and support for faculty. His research areas are caves and karst (landscapes formed by bedrock dissolution), Quaternary carbonate geology, and resource management.  He is founding president of the Karst Waters Institute, a research and outreach facility designed to increase the quality of karst research, and promote its utility to society.  He has over 260 journal publications, field guides and books, and over 300 professional presentations. He graduated 56 MSc students and 4 PhD students (the PhD program began in 2009), and taught over 15 different courses, from introductory to graduate.  With his wife and colleague, Joan Mylroie (retired Instructor of Geography at MSU), he continues to pursue island cave development in archipelagoes across the world.

Education

  • Bsc in Zoology, Summa Cum Laude, and Phi Beta Kappa, Syracuse University, 1967-1971.
  • United States Naval Reserve sonar technician, PO3rd class, 1971-1977 (active duty 1971-1972)
  • PhD in Geology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1974-1977

Experience

  • Murray State University, Assistant Professor 1977-1982; Associate Professor 1982-1985
  • Mississippi State University. Associate Professor 1985-1987; Full Professor 1987-2014; Professor Emeritus 2104 - present. Department Head, 1985-1989.

Honors/Professional Activities

  • Fellow, 1998, Explorers Club.
  • Science Award, 2000, National Speleological Society, for work on island karst.
  • Selwyn Lecture, University of Melbourne, 2006.
  • Honorary Member, 2010, National Speleological Society, for lifetime contributions to cave and karst science.
  • Follow, 2012, Geological Society of America, for contributions to the advancement of geological science.

Recent Publications

  • Lace, M.J., Kambesis, P.N. and J.E. Mylroie, 2016, Sistema Faro, Isla de Mona, Puerto Rico: Speleogenesis of the World’s Longest Flank Margin Cave. In: Robledo, P.A. and Duran, J.J. (eds.). Large Cave Systems of the World. Boletín Geológico y Minero, 127 (1): 205-217.
  • Mylroie, J. E., Mylroie, J. R., Middleton, G., 2016, Rodrigues Island: carbonate deposition and karst processes as indicators of platform stability: Carbonates and Evaporites, v. 31, p. 421-435.  DOI 10.1007/s13146-016-0299-0
  • Sumrall, J. B., Larson, E. B., and Mylroie, J. E., 2017, Very high magnesium calcite formation and microbial communities found in porosity of the Seroe Domi Formation of Curacao, Netherland Antilles: Carbonates and Evaporites, DOI  10.1007/s13146-017-035-7.
  • Mylroie, J. E., Mylroie, J. R., Humphreys, W., Brooks, D., and Middleton, G., 2017, Flank Margin Cave Development and Tectonic Uplift, Cape Range, Australia: Journal of Cave and Karst Studies, v. 79, no. 1, p. 35-47 DOI 10.4311/2015ES0142
  • Mylroie, J. E. and Mylroie, J. R., 2017, The Rock Islands of Belau (Palau), Western Pacific: Drowned Polygonal Karst? Proceedings of the 17th International Speleological Congress, 2nd Ed., Sydney 2017, v. 2, p. 69-72.
  • Mylroie, J. E. and Mylroie, J. R., Bahamian Flank Margin Caves as Hypogene Caves, 2017, In: Klimchouk, A. B., Palmer, A. N., De Waele, J,. Aulwer, A. S., and Audra, P., eds.,  Hypogene Karst Regions and Caves of the World, Springer, Dordrecht, p. 757-768. DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-53348-3_51
  • Mylroie, J. E. and Mylroie, J. R., 2017, The role of karst denudation on accurate assessment of glacioeustasy and tectonic uplift on carbonate coasts, In: Parise, M., Gabrovsek, F., Kaufmann, G., and Ravbar, N. (eds)., Advances in Karst Research: Theory, fieldwork, and applications, Geological Society, London, Special Publication 466, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP466.2 .
  • White, S. Q., Grimes, K. G., Mylroie, J. E., and Mylroie J. R., 2018, The earliest time of karst cave formation: Cave and Karst Science, v. 45, no. 1, p. 15-18.
  • Larson, E.B/, and Mylroie, J.E., 2018, Diffuse Versus Conduit Flow in Coastal Karst Aquifers: The Consequences of Island Area and Perimeter Relationships: Geosciences v. 8, 268., doi:10.3390/geosciences8070268.
  • Mylroie, J.E., 2018, Superstorms: Comments on Bahamian Fenestrae and Boulder Evidence from the Last Interglacial: Journal of Coastal Research, DOI: 10.2112/HJCOASTRES-D-17-00215.
  • Lace, M.J. Mylroie, J.E., Mylroie, J.R. and Albury, N.A., 2018, The Rock Art of Bahamian Caves: Multi-scalar Distribution Patterns and Sustainable Cultural Resource Management: Journal of Caribbean Archaeology, v. 18, p.70-75.